Systems and methods for loading and unloading a cargo aircraft utilizing a curved path

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and vehicles for loading and unloading cargo into or out of a large transport vehicle, such as an aircraft, utilizing a curved path are described. The systems and methods include one or more support structures disposed, either permanently or removably, within a cargo bay of the transport vehicle to form a curved path extending into an aft portion of the cargo bay. During loading, the payload can move in the aft direction while concurrently rotating about a center point of an arc. In some embodiments, the cargo bay can include a kinked portion disposed between a proximal and aft portions of the cargo bay, with the curved path extending at least through the kinked portion and into the aft portion. Methods, systems, and components thereof for assembling a cargo, unloading cargo from a large transport vehicle, and disassembling a cargo are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S.Pat. Application No. 17/465,782, filed Sep. 2, 2021, which is a U.S.national stage filing from International Application NumberPCT/US2021/021794, filed Mar. 10, 2021, the contents of each which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for loading andunloading large cargo onto or off of a cargo aircraft, and moreparticularly provides for methods, systems, and related componentsthereof that can be used to easily stow or retrieve large cargo onto oroff of the aircraft in a fast and efficient manner, including moving thelarge cargo along a curved path during loading or unloading, and placingthe cargo in a location where it can be safely secured and transportedby way of flying the aircraft. One non-limiting use discussed herein istransporting components of wind turbines, such as one or more windturbine blades.

BACKGROUND

Renewable energy remains an increasingly important resourceyear-over-year. While there are many forms of renewable energy, windenergy has increased an average of about 19 percent annually since 2007.The increase in global demand in recent years for more wind energy hascatalyzed drastic advances in wind turbine technology, including thedevelopment of larger, better-performing wind turbines.Better-performing wind turbines can at least sometimes mean largerturbines, as generally turbines with larger rotor diameters can capturemore wind energy. As turbines continue to improve in performance andefficiency, more and more wind farm sites become viable both onshore andoffshore. These sites may be existing sites, where older turbines needreplacement by better-performing, more efficient turbines, and newsites.

A limiting factor to allow for the revitalization of old sites anddevelopment of new sites is transporting the wind turbines, and relatedequipment, to the sites. Wind turbine blades are difficult to transportlong distances due to the terrestrial limitations of existing airvehicles and roadway infrastructures. Onshore transportation hastraditionally required truck or rail transportation on existinginfrastructure. Both are limited by height and width of tunnels andbridges. Road transport has additional complications of lane width, roadcurvature, and the need to pass through urban areas that may requireadditional permitting and logistics, among other complications. Offshoretransportation by ship is equally, if not more so, limiting. Forexample, delivery of parts can be limited to how accessible the offshorelocation is by ship due to various barriers (e.g., sand bars, coralreefs) and the like in the water and surrounding areas, as well as theavailability of ships capable of handling such large structures.

Whether onshore or offshore, the road vehicle or ship options fortransporting such equipment has become more limited, particularly as thesize of wind turbines increase. Delivery is thus limited by theavailability of vehicles and ships capable of handling such largestructures. The very long lengths of wind turbine blades (some arepresently 90 meters long, 100 meters long, or even longer) makeconventional transportation by train, truck, or ship very difficult andcomplicated. Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as makingtransportation vehicles longer and/or larger. There are a variety ofcomplications that present themselves as vehicles are made longer and/orlarger, including but not limited to complications of: load balancing ofthe vehicle; load balancing the equipment being transported; loadbalancing the two with respect to each other; handling, maneuverability,and control of the vehicle; and other complications that would beapparent to those skilled in the art.

Further, whether onshore or offshore, delivery of parts can be slow andseverely limited by the accessibility of the site. Whether the sitebeing developed is old or new, the sites can often be remote, and thusnot near suitable transportation infrastructure. The sites may be faraway from suitable roads and rails (or other means by which cargo may betransported) to allow for easy delivery of cargo for use in building theturbines at the site and/or other equipment used in developing the site.New sites are often in areas without any existing transportationinfrastructure at all, thus requiring new construction and specialequipment. Ultimately, transportation logistics become cost prohibitive,resulting in a literal and figurative roadblock to further advancing theuse of wind energy on a global scale.

Another challenge presented by transporting large cargo, such as windturbine blades, or other sizes and types of cargos as well, is the oftenunique tooling that is required to load and unload the cargo. Neitherthe aircraft itself, nor the tooling associated with any of packagingthe large cargo, moving the large cargo onto the aircraft, and/orsecuring the large cargo within the plane provides a ready-made,consistent solution so that the large cargo, sometimes referred to as alarge payload, can be easily placed on and taken off the plane in an“assembly line-like” manner. Instead, large cargo is typically weighedand measured each time it is placed on a cargo aircraft, making sure theright requirements are met in terms of placing a center of gravity ofthe payload at a safe location with respect to a center of gravity ofthe aircraft. This becomes a time-intensive and labor-intensive processthat severely limits how quickly large cargo can be transported. Thiscan make air transport of large cargo undesirable, with others opting tomove the large cargo by rail or truck. Even to the extent there may besome tooling for individual types of large cargo, there is not currentlyany such tooling for transporting wind turbine blades and othercomponents of a wind turbine.

Recent developments have been made related to a kinked fuselage in acargo aircraft, e.g., for transporting large cargo. As a result of theunique nature of this configuration, new challenges arise when trying toload or unload large cargo into or out of the non-linear cargo bay. Forexample, a large payload, such as a wind turbine blade, rises verticallytowards an upper surface or “roof” of the cargo bay as the payload movesaft through a kinked portion of the cargo bay. Such displacement of thecargo can create complications in providing adequate support to thepayload in the final loaded position. One solution can be to utilizepowered fixtures in which a height of the fixture can be adjusted toaccommodate the shifting vertical position of the payload. Suchactuators, however, can be large in size, thus requiring a largerfuselage cross-section, and have high force requirements. They alsocreate another possible degree of failure as compared to a fixture thatdoes not have to be adjusted when passing the large payload into thecargo bay.

Accordingly, there is a need for tooling systems, related components,and methods that can be implemented to allow for the consistent loadingand unloading of cargo (also referred to herein as payload) onto or offof a large aircraft, including aircrafts that included kinked fuselages,forming an “assembly line-like” process whereby cargo can becontinuously loaded and unloaded in an efficient manner.

SUMMARY

The present application is directed to systems and methods for loadingor unloading large cargo in an efficient manner, e.g., by moving thecargo along a curved path during loading or unloading thereof. Thesystem includes various tooling and fixtures that are specificallydesigned to enable easy loading of large cargo items into or out of alarge cargo aircraft, including moving the large cargo in a forward oraft direction while concurrently rotating the large cargo about a centerpoint of an arc such that the large cargo moves along a curved or arcpath in a forward or aft direction within the aircraft. To this end, acurved path can extend through at least a portion of the cargo bay alongwhich the large cargo can travel. For example, one or more supportstructures can be disposed in the cargo bay of the aircraft and can forma curved path along which the large cargo can travel. In this manner, anattitude of the cargo can beneficially change as the cargo moves in theforward-aft direction, in many instances without further externalmanipulation beyond movement of the cargo along the path, therebyeliminating the need for powered fixtures to support the cargo.

In one aspect, a method of loading or unloading a payload into or out ofa cargo aircraft is performed in conjunction with a cargo aircraft thatincludes an interior cargo bay having a forward bay portion located in aforward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portion located in an aftend of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay portion disposed between theforward bay portion and the aft bay portion. The kinked bay portiondefines a location at which the aft end of the cargo aircraft begins toraise at an angle relative to a longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargoaircraft. When loading a payload into the interior cargo bay, the methodincludes advancing the payload towards and aft end of the cargoaircraft. When unloading a payload out of the interior cargo bay of theaircraft, the method includes advancing the payload towards the forwardend of the cargo aircraft. Whether loading or unloading, advancing thepayload includes moving the payload along a curved path formed by atleast one support structure disposed in the interior cargo bay of thecargo aircraft. The at least one support structure extends a varyingvertical distance above a corresponding portion of a bottom contactsurface of the interior cargo bay over a length of the at least onesupport structure.

The systems and methods described herein can have a number of additionalfeatures and/or variations, all of which are within the scope of thepresent disclosure. For example, moving the payload along the curvedpath can further include moving the payload such that a portion of thepayload that extends beyond the kinked portion of the cargo bay and intothe aft portion of the cargo bay remains a fixed radial height above thecurved path. Moving the payload along the curved path can include movingthe payload such that the payload rotates about a center point of an arcwhile concurrently moving the forward or aft direction. In someembodiments, the curved path can be formed by at least one rail of theat least one support structure. The at least one rail can include aplurality of linear rail segments extending at an angle relative to oneanother to approximate a curve. In some embodiments, when loading thepayload into the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, advancing thepayload towards the aft end of the cargo aircraft can include passingthe payload through an opening formed by opening a nose cargo floor inthe forward end of the cargo aircraft. When unloading the payload out ofthe interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, the method can includepassing the payload to an environment outside the cargo aircraft throughan opening formed by opening a nose cargo door located in the forwardend of the cargo aircraft.

In some embodiments, the payload can include at least onepayload-receiving fixtures, and moving the payload along the curved pathcan further include coupling the at least one payload-receiving fixtureof the plurality of payload-receiving fixtures to the at least onesupport structure and advancing the at least one payload-receivingfixture along the curved path. The curved path can extend from theforward bay portion through the kinked bay portion and into the aft bayportion. In some embodiments, a terminal end of one of the at least onesupport structures can be disposed in the aft bay portion.

The at least one support structure can include a first support structureand a second support structure, with the curved path formed by the firstsupport structure fixed in the aft bay portion to the bottom contactsurface of the interior cargo bay and the second support structure fixedin the forward bay portion to the bottom contact surface of the interiorcargo bay. In some embodiments, the at least one support structure caninclude a first support structure fixed in the aft bay portion to thebottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay and a second supportstructure. The curved path can be formed by at least one rail of thefirst support structure aligned with at least one rail of the secondsupport structure. The method can further include, when loading thepayload into the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, moving thesecond support structure from a position external of the cargo aircraftinto the forward bay portion of the cargo bay and securing the secondsupport structure in the forward bay portion to the bottom contactsurface of the interior cargo bay. When unloading the payload from theinterior cargo bay, the method can further include unlocking the secondsupport structure from the bottom contact surface of the interior cargobay in the forward bay portion and moving the second support structureout of the forward may portion to a position external of the cargoaircraft. In some embodiments, moving the second support structure formthe position external of the cargo aircraft into the forward bay portionof the cargo bay can further include translating the second supportstructure from the position external of the cargo aircraft along alinear path into the forward bay portion of the cargo bay.

Moving the payload along the curved path can include moving the payloadthrough the kinked bay portion towards the aft end of the cargo aircraftsuch that a distal end of the payload raises relative to thelongitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft. In some suchembodiments, the method can include moving the payload along the curvedpath until the distal end of the payload is received within a portion ofthe aft bay portion located within a fuselage tailcone of the cargoaircraft. In some embodiments, moving the payload along the curved pathcan include moving the payload through the kinked bay portion towardsthe forward end of the cargo aircraft such that a distal end of thepayload lowers relative to the longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargoaircraft.

In some embodiments the payload can have a length of at least about 65meters, at least about 75 meters, at least about 85 meters, at leastabout 100 meters, or at least about 120 meters. The payload can includeone or more components of a wind turbine such that the plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures receives the one or more components of thewind turbine.

In another aspect, a method of loading a cargo aircraft includestranslating a payload and a support structure to which the payload isremovably coupled into an interior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft along alinear path, de-coupling the payload from the support structure, andmoving the payload into an aft portion of the interior cargo bay along acurved path at least partially formed by the support structure suchthat, as the payload proceeds in the aft direction, an aft portion ofthe payload approaches a bottom contact surface of the aft portion ofthe interior cargo bay.

As noted above, the systems and methods described herein can have anumber of additional features and/or variations, all of which are withinthe scope of the present disclosure. For example, the method can furtherinclude securing the support structure to a bottom contact surface of aforward portion of the interior cargo bay such that the supportstructure is stationary within the forward portion of the cargo bay. Afirst portion of the curved path can be formed by the support structureand a second portion of the curved path can be formed by a secondsupport structure disposed in the aft portion of the cargo bay. Securingthe support structure to the bottom contact surface of the forwardportion of the interior cargo bay can include securing the supportstructure to at least one base rail coupled to the bottom contactsurface of the forward portion of the interior cargo bay. In someembodiments, the payload can include a plurality of payload-receivingfixtures, and moving the payload into the aft portion of the cargo bayalong the curved path can include advancing at least onepayload-receiving fixture along one or more rails of at least one of thesupport structure or the second support structure.

The interior cargo bay can include a kinked bay portion disposed betweenthe forward bay portion and the aft bay portion. The kinked bay portioncan define a location at which the aft end of the cargo aircraft beginsto raise relative to a longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft.Moving the payload into the aft portion of the cargo bay can includemoving the payload such that a portion of the payload that extendsbeyond the kinked portion of the cargo bay and into the aft portion ofthe cargo bay remains a fixed radial height above the curved path. Insome embodiments the payload can have a length of at least about 65meters, at least about 75 meters, at least about 85 meters, at leastabout 100 meters, or at least about 120 meters. The payload can includeone or more components of a wind turbine such that the plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures receives the one or more components of thewind turbine. Translating the payload and support structure into theinterior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft can include passing the payloadand support structure through an opening formed by opening a nose cargodoor located in a forward end of the cargo aircraft.

In another aspect, a system for at least one of loading a payload onto acargo aircraft or unloading a payload from a cargo aircraft includes atleast one rail disposed in an interior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft.The interior cargo bay has a forward bay portion located in a forwardend of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portion located in an aft end ofthe cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay portion disposed between theforward bay portion and the aft bay portion. The kinked bay portiondefines a location at which the aft end of the cargo aircraft beings toraise relative to a longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraftsuch that an aft-most terminal end of the aft bay portion is disposedabove the longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft. The at leastone rail extends from the forward bay portion, through the kinked bayportion, and into the aft bay portion, with a vertical distance abovewhich the at least one rail extends from a bottom contact surface of theinterior cargo bay that varies along a length of the at least one rail.

As noted above, the systems and methods described herein can have anumber of additional features and/or variations, all of which are withinthe scope of the present disclosure. For example, the vertical distanceabove which the at least one rail extends from the bottom contactsurface of the interior cargo bay can decrease in the aft direction fromthe kinked bay portion to the aft bay portion. The system can furtherinclude a first support structure coupled to the bottom contact surfaceof the cargo bay in the forward bay portion and a second supportstructure coupled to the bottom contact surface of the cargo bay in theaft bay portion. The first support structure can include a first portionof the at least one rail and the second support structure can include asecond portion of the at least one rail. The first support structure canbe removably coupled to the bottom contact surface of the cargo plane.In some embodiments, the system can further include one or moretransport vehicles that can move along a ground surface. The firstsupport structure can removably couple to the one or more transportvehicles. The system can include a cargo nose door that is configured toopen to a portion of the forward end of the cargo aircraft such that theforward bay portion is accessible from an outside environment when thecargo nose door is open.

The at least one rail of the system can include a plurality of linearrail segments that can extend at an angle relative to one another toapproximate a curve. In some embodiments, the at least one rail caninclude at least two rails disposed approximately parallel to eachother. A terminal end of the at least one rail can be disposed in theaft portion of the cargo bay. The aft portion of the cargo bay canextend at an angle relative to a forward portion of the cargo bay. Thepayload can move along the curved path formed by the at least one railsuch that an aft end of the payload is held within the aft bay portion.The payload can move along the curved path formed by the at least onerail such that the aft end of the payload can approach the bottomcontact surface in the aft bay portion

In some embodiments, the payload can include a plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures that can couple to the at least one rail suchthat the plurality of payload-receiving fixtures can translate along alength of the at least one rail. The payload can include one or morecomponents of a wind turbine, and the payload-receiving fixtures can beconfigured to receive the one or more components of the wind turbine. Insome embodiments the payload can have a length of at least about 65meters, at least about 75 meters, at least about 85 meters, at leastabout 100 meters, or at least about 120 meters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This disclosure will be more fully understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of one embodiment of an aircraft;

FIG. 1B is a side view of the aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is an isometric view of the aircraft of FIG. 1A with a nose conedoor in an open position to provide access to an interior cargo bay ofthe aircraft;

FIG. 2A is a side view of an alternative embodiment of an aircraft;

FIG. 2B is a side transparent view of the aircraft of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a side view of the aircraft of FIG. 2B in a take-offposition;

FIG. 3 is the side view of the aircraft of FIG. 1A with some additionaldetails removed for clarity;

FIG. 4A is a side cross-sectional view of the aircraft of FIG. 3 ,including an interior cargo bay of the aircraft;

FIG. 4B is the side cross-sectional view of the aircraft of FIG. 4A withan exemplary payload disposed in the interior cargo bay;

FIG. 4C is the side cross-sectional view of the aircraft of FIG. 4A witha schematic of an exemplary maximum-length payload disposed in theinterior cargo bay;

FIG. 4D is the side cross-sectional view of the aircraft of FIG. 4A witha schematic of an exemplary maximum-weight payload disposed in theinterior cargo bay of the aircraft;

FIG. 5 is a side partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft of FIG.1C, the fuselage of the aircraft being illustrated in cross-sectionalview, with an aft support structure and a forward support structureddisposed within the interior cargo bay and with half of the fuselagebeing removed for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 6A is a side view of one embodiment of a transportation vehiclehaving a ground support structure, a forward support structure, and apayload disposed thereon;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the transportation vehicle of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is a schematic side view of the aircraft of FIG. 1A with an aftsupport structure disposed therein with a payload, forward supportstructure, and ground support structure disposed on the transportvehicle of FIG. 6A, the transport vehicle being proximal to theaircraft;

FIG. 7B is a schematic side view of the aircraft of FIG. 7A illustratinga snapshot of translating the forward support structure into theinterior cargo bay, with the payload removed for clarity;

FIG. 7C is a schematic side view of the aircraft of FIG. 7A with theforward support structure disposed within the forward bay of theinterior cargo bay and the payload partially disposed within theinterior cargo bay following an initial translation into the forwardbay;

FIG. 7D is a front isometric view of the aircraft of FIG. 7C with thepayload and forward support structure fully disposed within the interiorcargo bay;

FIG. 7E is a rear isometric view of the aircraft of FIG. 7C with thepayload and forward support structure fully disposed within the interiorcargo bay;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a payload-receivingfixture;

FIG. 9A is a schematic illustration of one step in one embodiment ofassembling a payload package onto the transport vehicle of FIG. 6A forloading onto an aircraft;

FIG. 9B is a schematic illustration of two cranes lowering a turbineblade for assembly of a payload package onto the transport vehicle ofFIG. 9A;

FIG. 9C is an enlarged and detailed isometric view of apayload-receiving fixture and a first turbine blade received therein asshown in Box I of FIG. 9B;

FIG. 9D is a schematic illustration of one of the cranes of FIG. 9Blowering a middle-component of a mid-span payload receiving fixture tobecome part of the payload package of FIG. 9B;

FIG. 9E is an enlarged and detailed isometric view of the crane loweringthe middle-component of the mid-span payload receiving fixture as shownin Box II of FIG. 9D;

FIG. 9F is a schematic illustration of the two cranes of FIG. 9Blowering a second turbine blade for assembly of a payload package;

FIG. 9G is an enlarged and detailed isometric view of the mid-spanpayload-receiving fixture of FIG. 9C with the second turbine bladereceived therein as shown in Box III of FIG. 9F;

FIG. 9H is a schematic illustration of the two cranes of FIG. 9Flowering upper components of two mid-span payload receiving fixtures;

FIG. 9I is an enlarged and detailed isometric view of one of the twocranes lowering one of the two upper components of the mid-span payloadreceiving feature of FIG. 9D, as shown in Box IV of FIG. 9H;

FIG. 10A is a side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft of FIG.1C, the fuselage of the aircraft being illustrated in cross-sectionalview, with an aft support structure disposed within an aft portion ofthe interior cargo bay;

FIG. 10B is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10A with the ground support structure, the forward supportstructure, and the payload coupled to the transport vehicle of FIG. 6Adisposed proximal to the aircraft;

FIG. 10C1 is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft, theground support structure, the forward support structure, and the payloadof FIG. 10B illustrating a first snapshot of a schematic illustration ofone embodiment of using a cargo-loading system in conjunction with acargo loading process in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10C2 is a schematic top-down view of the cargo-loading system ofFIG. 10C1 used in conjunction with the embodiment of the cargo loadingprocess illustrated with respect to FIGS. 10A-10L;

FIG. 10D is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10C1 showing an action of unlocking the ground support structureand forward support structure from the transport vehicle;

FIG. 10E is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10D showing a snapshot of translating the payload and the forwardsupport structure into the forward bay of the interior cargo bay;

FIG. 10F is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10E showing the payload partially disposed within the interiorcargo bay, locking the forward support structure into the forward bay ofthe interior cargo bay, and locking the ground support structure to thetransport vehicle;

FIG. 10G is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10F showing an action of unlocking the payload from the groundsupport structure and the forward support structure;

FIG. 10H is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10G showing a snapshot of the payload disposed fully within theinterior cargo bay;

FIG. 10I is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10H showing an action of locking the payload relative to the aftsupport structure and the forward support structure within the interiorcargo bay;

FIG. 10J is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10I with a fly-away cable of the cargo-loading system disconnectedfrom a winch cable of the cargo-loading system;

FIG. 10K is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10J with the transport vehicle de-docking from the aircraft;

FIG. 10L is the side, partial cross-sectional view of the aircraft ofFIG. 10K with the payload fully loaded and ready for transport;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view related to preparing thepayload-receiving fixtures, ground support structure, and forwardsupport structure of FIG. 6A for a backhaul flight;

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view illustration of one embodiment of anaircraft having one or more curved base rails; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view illustration of a partial fuselage ofanother embodiment of an aircraft having one or more curved base rails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide anoverall understanding of the principles of the structure, function,manufacture, and use of the devices, systems, aircraft, and methodsdisclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments areillustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the devices, systems, aircraft, components related to orotherwise part of such devices, systems, and aircraft, and methodsspecifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings are non-limiting embodiments and that the scope of the presentdisclosure is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated ordescribed in connection with one embodiment may be combined with thefeatures of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations areintended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Someof the embodiments provided for herein may be schematic drawings,including possibly some that are not labeled as such but will beunderstood by a person skilled in the art to be schematic in nature.They may not be to scale or may be somewhat crude renderings of thedisclosed components. A person skilled in the art will understand how toimplement these teachings and incorporate them into work systems,methods, aircraft, and components related to each of the same, asprovided for herein. Certain markings found in the drawings are forillustrative purposes and do not constitute what an actual componentlooks like. For example, in some instances an “X” or a circle canindicate a point of disconnection, connection, locking, or unlocking, aswill be understood in view of the accompanying disclosure.

To the extent the present disclosure includes various terms forcomponents and/or processes of the disclosed devices, systems, aircraft,methods, and the like, one skilled in the art, in view of the claims,present disclosure, and knowledge of the skilled person, will understandsuch terms are merely examples of such components and/or processes, andother components, designs, processes, and/or actions are possible. Byway of non-limiting example, while the present application describesloading an airplane through a front end of the aircraft, alternatively,or additionally, loading can occur through an aft end of the aircraftand/or from above and/or below the aircraft. In the present disclosure,like-numbered and like-lettered components of various embodimentsgenerally have similar features when those components are of a similarnature and/or serve a similar purpose. To the extent terms such asfront, back, top, bottom, forward, aft, proximal, distal, etc. are usedto describe a location of various components of the various disclosures,such usage is by no means limiting, and is often used for conveniencewhen describing various possible configurations. The foregoingnotwithstanding, a person skilled in the art will recognize the commonvernacular used with respect to aircraft, such as the terms “forward’and “aft,” and will give terms of those nature their commonly understoodmeaning. Further in some instances, terms like forward and proximal oraft and distal may be used in a similar fashion.

The present application is directed to systems and methods for loadingand unloading an aircraft in a quick, efficient, safe, and damage-freemanner. While the illustrations and descriptions herein are withparticular reference to an aircraft, the principles of the presentdisclosure are not limited to aircrafts and can be applied to othermethods of loading large payloads onto other modes of transportation(e.g., ships) and the like. Loading and/or unloading cargo in accordancewith the present disclosure includes moving the cargo along a curvedpath as the cargo moves in a forward or aft direction within a cargo bayof the aircraft. Moving the cargo along the curved path can result in anattitude adjustment of the cargo, i.e., as a result of the cargorotating about a center point of an arc from movement of the cargo inconjunction with a forward or aft movement along the curved path, withrespect to the aircraft. In one interpretation, this movement along thecurved path, i.e., rotation of the payload about an arc concurrentlywith forward or aft movement of the payload, can be referred to astranslation along the curved path, in the sense that the payload cantranslate along one or more support structure that can form the curvedpath, as discussed in detail below. Before describing these methods andsystem components associated with the same, the configuration of theaircraft itself is discussed.

Aircraft

The focus of the present disclosures is described with respect to alarge aircraft 100, such as an airplane, illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C,along with the loading of a large payload into the aircraft, illustratedat least in FIGS. 7A-7E and unloading of the same. Additional detailsabout the aircraft and payload may be described with respect to theother figures of the present disclosure as well. In the illustratedembodiment, a payload 10 is a combination of two wind turbine blades 11Aand 11B, although a person skilled in the art will appreciate that otherpayloads are possible. Such payloads can include other numbers of windturbine blades (e.g., one, three, four, five, etc., or segments of asingle even larger blade), other components of wind turbines (e.g.,tower segments, generator, nacelle, gear box, hub, power cables, etc.),or many other large structures and objects whether related to windturbines or not. The present application can be used in conjunction withmost any large payload-large for the present purposes being at leastabout 57 meters long, or at least about 60 meters long, or at leastabout 65 meters long, or at least about 75 meters long, or at leastabout 85 meters long, or at least about 90 meters long, or at leastabout 100 meters long, or at least about 110 meters long, or at leastabout 120 meters long-or for smaller payloads if desired. Somenon-limiting examples of large payloads that can be used in conjunctionwith the present disclosures beyond wind turbines include but are notlimited to industrial oil equipment, mining equipment, rockets, militaryequipment and vehicles, defense hardware, commercial aerospace vehicles,crane segments, aircraft components, space launch rocket boosters,helicopters, generators, or hyperloop tubes. In other words, theaircraft 100 can be used with most any size and shape payload, but hasparticular utility when it comes to large, often heavy, payloads.

As shown, the aircraft 100, and thus its fuselage 101, includes aforward end 120 and an aft end 140, with a kinked portion 130 connectingthe forward end 120 to the aft end 140. The forward end 120 is generallyconsidered any portion of the aircraft 100, and related components, thatare forward of the kinked portion 130 and the aft end 140 is consideredany portion of the aircraft 100, and related components, that are aft ofthe kinked portion 130. The kinked portion 130, as described in greaterdetail below, is a section of the aircraft 100 in which both a top-mostouter surface 102 and a bottom-most outer surface 103 of the fuselage101 become angled (notably, the placement of reference numerals 102 and103 in the figures do not illustrate location of the “kink” since theymore generally refer to the top-most and bottom-most surfaces of thefuselage 101), as illustrated by an aft centerline C_(A) of the aft end140 of the fuselage 101 with respect to a forward centerline C_(F) ofthe forward end 120 of the fuselage 101.

The forward end 120 can include a cockpit or flight deck 122, andlanding gears, as shown a forward or nose landing gear 123 and a rear ormain landing gear 124. The illustrated embodiment does not show variouscomponents used to couple the landing gears 123, 124 to the fuselage101, or operate the landing gears (e.g., actuators, braces, shafts,pins, trunnions, pistons, cylinders, braking assemblies, etc.), but aperson skilled in the art will appreciate how the landing gears 123, 124are so connected and operable in conjunction with the aircraft 100. Theforward-most end of the forward end 120 includes a nose cone 126. Asillustrated more clearly in FIG. 1C, the nose cone 126 is functional asa door, optionally being referred to as the nose cone door, thusallowing access to an interior cargo bay 170 defined by the fuselage 101via a cargo opening 171 exposed by moving the nose cone door 126 into anopen or loading position (the position illustrated in FIG. 1C; FIGS. 1Aand 1B illustrate the nose cone door 126 in a closed or transportposition). The door may operate by rotating vertically tip-upwards abouta lateral axis, or by rotating horizontally tip-outboards about avertical axis, or by other means as well such as translation forwardsthen in other directions, or by paired rotation and translation, orother means.

As described in greater detail below, the interior cargo bay 170 iscontinuous throughout the length of the aircraft 101, i.e., it spans amajority of the length of the fuselage. The continuous length of theinterior cargo bay 170 includes the space defined by the fuselage 101 inthe forward end 120, the aft end 140, and the kinked portion 130disposed therebetween, such spaces being considered corresponding to theforward bay, aft bay, and kinked bay portions of the interior cargo bay170. The interior cargo bay 170 can thus include the volume defined bynose cone 126 when it is closed, as well as the volume defined proximateto a fuselage tail cone 142 located at the aft end 140. In theillustrated embodiment of FIG. 1C, the nose cone door 126 is hinged at atop such that it swings clockwise towards the fuselage cockpit 122 and afixed portion or main section 128 of the fuselage 101. In otherembodiments, a nose cone door can swing in other manners, such as beinghinged on a left or right side to swing clockwise or counter-clockwisetowards the fixed portion 128 of the fuselage. The fixed portion 128 ofthe forward fuselage 101 is the portion that is not the nose cone 126,and thus the forward fuselage 101 is a combination of the fixed portion128 and the nose cone 126. Alternatively, or additionally, the interiorcargo bay 170 can be accessed through other means of access known tothose skilled in the art, including but not limited to a hatch, door,and/or ramp located in the aft end 140 of the fuselage 101, hoistingcargo into the interior cargo bay 170 from below, and/or lowering cargointo the interior cargo bay 170 from above. One advantage provided bythe illustrated configuration, at least as it relates to some aspects ofloading large payloads, is that by not including an aft door, theinterior cargo bay 170 can be continuous, making it significantly easierto stow cargo in the aft end 140 all the way into the fuselage tail cone142. While loading through an aft door is possible with the presentdisclosures, doing so would make loading into and use of the interiorcargo bay 170 space in the aft end 140 all the way into the fuselagetail cone 142 much more challenging and difficult to accomplish-alimitation faced in existing cargo aircraft configurations. Existinglarge cargo aircraft are typically unable to add cargo in this way(e.g., upwards and aftwards) because any kink present in their aftfuselage is specifically to create more vertical space for an aft doorto allow large cargo into the forwards portion of the aircraft.

With reference to FIG. 1C, a bottom contact surface 172 (also referredto herein as a floor) can be located in the interior cargo bay 170, andcan also extend in a continuous manner, much like the bay 170 itself,from the forward end 120, through the kinked portion 130, and into theaft end 140. The floor 172 can thus be configured to have a forward end172 f, a kinked portion 172 k, and an aft end 172 a. The bottom contactsurface 172 can define a lower-most or bottom-most surface of theinterior cargo bay 170. The bottom contact surface 172 can be formed bya permanent floor or structure of the cargo aircraft 100, one or moreremovable panels or pieces, or a combination thereof. In someembodiments, the floor 172 can be configured in a manner akin to mostfloors of cargo bays known in the art. In some other embodiments, one ormore base rails can be disposed in the interior cargo bay 170 and can beused to assist in loading a payload, such as the payload 10, and/orsupport structures, such as the forward support structure 23A(illustrated, for example, in FIG. 5 , and described in detail below)into the interior cargo bay 170. The base rail(s) can extend from theforward end 120, through the kinked portion 130, and into and up toalmost an entirety of the aft end 140, and thus can have the same pitchrelative to ground as the floor 172 itself. Additional structures,fixtures, and tooling designed to be used in conjunction with such baserails, e.g., that can roll or otherwise move along the base rails, forloading and/or unloading a payload along a curved path within the cargobay 170, are discussed in detail.

Opening the nose cone 126 not only exposes the cargo opening 171 and thefloor 172, but it also provides access from an outside environment to acantilevered tongue 160 that extends from or otherwise defines aforward-most portion of the fixed portion 128 of the fuselage 101. Thecantilevered tongue can be an extension of the floor 172, or it can beits own feature that extends from below or above the floor 172 andassociated bottom portion of the fuselage 101. The cantilevered tongue160 can be used to support a payload, thus allowing the payload toextend into the volume of the interior cargo bay 170 defined by the nosecone 126.

A wingspan 180 can extend substantially laterally in both directionsfrom the fuselage. The wingspan 180 includes both a first fixed wing 182and a second fixed wing 184, the wings 182, 184 extending substantiallyperpendicular to the fuselage 101 in respective first and seconddirections which are approximately symmetric about alongitudinal-vertical plane away from the fuselage 101, and moreparticularly extending substantially perpendicular to the centerlineC_(F). Wings 182, 184 being indicated as extending from the fuselage 101do not necessarily extend directly away from the fuselage 101, i.e.,they do not have to be in direct contact with the fuselage 101. Further,the opposite directions the wings 182, 184 extend from each other canalternatively be described as the second wing 184 extendingapproximately symmetrically away from the first wing 182. As shown, thewings 182, 184 define approximately no sweep angle and no dihedralangle. In alternative embodiments, a sweep angle can be included in thetip-forwards (-) or tip-aftwards (+) direction, the angle beingapproximately in the range of about -40 degrees to about +60 degrees. Inother alternative embodiments, a dihedral angle can be included in thetip-downwards (negative, or “anhedral”) or tip-upwards (positive, or“dihedral”) direction, the angle being approximately in the range ofabout -5 degrees to about +5 degrees. Other typical components of wings,including but not limited to slats for increasing lift, flaps forincreasing lift and drag, ailerons for changing roll, spoilers forchanging lift, drag, and roll, and winglets for decreasing drag can beprovided, some of which a person skilled in the art will recognize areillustrated in the illustrations of the aircraft 100 (other parts ofwings, or the aircraft 100 more generally, not specifically mentioned inthis detailed description are also illustrated and recognizable by thoseskilled in the art). Engines, engine nacelles, and engine pylons 186 canalso be provided. In the illustrated embodiment, two engines 186, onemounted to each wing 182, 184 are provided. Additional engines can beprovided, such as four or six, and other locations for engines arepossible, such as being mounted to the fuselage 101 rather than thewings 182, 184.

The kinked portion 130 provides for an upward transition between theforward end 120 and the aft end 140. The kinked portion 130 includes akink, i.e., a bend, in the fixed portion 128 of the fuselage 101 suchthat both the top-most outer surface 102 and the bottom-most outersurface 103 of the fuselage 101 become angled with respect to thecenterline C_(F) of the forward end 120 of the aircraft 100, i.e., bothsurfaces 102, 103 include the upward transition provided for by thekinked portion 130. As shown at least in FIG. 1B, the aft-most end ofthe aft end 140 can raise entirely above the centerline C_(F). In theillustrated embodiment, the angle defined by the bottom-most outersurface 103 and the centerline C_(F) is larger than an angle defined bythe top-most outer surface 102 and the centerline C_(F), although otherconfigurations may be possible. Notably, although the present disclosuregenerally describes the portions associated with the aft end 140 asbeing “aft,” in some instances they may be referred to as part of a“kinked portion” or the like because the entirety of the aft end 140 isangled as a result of the kinked portion 130. Thus, references herein,including in the claims, to a kinked portion, a kinked cargo bay orcargo bay portion, a kinked cargo centerline, etc. will be understood bya person skilled in the art, in view of the present disclosures, to bereferring to the aft end 140 of the aircraft 100 (or the aft end inother aircraft embodiments) in some instances.

Despite the angled nature of the aft end 140, the aft end 140 iswell-suited to receive cargo therein. In fact, the aircraft 100 isspecifically designed in a manner that allows for the volume defined bythe aft end 140, up to almost the very aft-most tip of the aft end 140,i.e., the fuselage tail cone 142, can be used to receive cargo as partof the continuous interior cargo bay 170. Proximate to the fuselage tailcone 142 can be an empennage 150, which can include horizontalstabilizers for providing longitudinal stability, elevators forcontrolling pitch, vertical stabilizers for providinglateral-directional stability, and rudders for controlling yaw, amongother typical empennage components that may or may not be illustratedbut would be recognized by a person skilled in the art.

The aircraft 100 is particularly well-suited for large payloads becauseof a variety of features, including its size. A length from theforward-most tip of the nose cone 126 to the aft-most tip of thefuselage tail cone 142 can be approximately in the range of about 60meters to about 150 meters. Some non-limiting lengths of the aircraft100 can include about 80 meters, about 84 meters, about 90 meters, about95 meters, about 100 meters, about 105 meters, about 107 meters, about110 meters, about 115 meters, or about 120 meters. Shorter and longerlengths are possible. A volume of the interior cargo bay 170, inclusiveof the volume defined by the nose cone 126 and the volume defined in thefuselage tail cone 142, both of which can be used to stow cargo, can beapproximately in the range of about 1200 cubic meters to about 12,000cubic meters, the volume being dependent at least on the length of theaircraft 100 and an approximate diameter of the fuselage (which canchange across the length). One non-limiting volume of the interior cargobay 170 can be about 6850 cubic meters. Not accounting for the veryterminal ends of the interior cargo bay 170 where diameters get smallerat the terminal ends of the fuselage 101, diameters across the length ofthe fuselage, as measured from an interior thereof (thus defining thevolume of the cargo bay) can be approximately in the range of about 4.3meters to about 13 meters, or about 8 meters to 11 meters. Onenon-limiting diameter of the fuselage 101 proximate to its midpoint canbe about 9 meters. The wingspan, from tip of the wing 132 to the tip ofthe wing 134, can be approximately in the range of about 60 meters to110 meters, or about 70 meters to about 100 meters. One non-limitinglength of the wingspan 180 can be about 80 meters. A person skilled inthe art will recognize these sizes and dimensions are based on a varietyof factors, including but not limited to the size and mass of the cargoto be transported, the various sizes and shapes of the components of theaircraft 100, and the intended use of the aircraft, and thus they are byno means limiting. Nevertheless, the large sizes that the presentdisclosure both provides the benefit of being able to transport largepayloads, but faces challenges due, at least in part, to its size thatmake creating such a large aircraft challenging. The engineeringinvolved is not merely making a plane larger. As a result, manyinnovations tied to the aircraft 100 provided for herein, and in othercommonly-owned patent applications, are the result of very specificdesign solutions arrived at by way of engineering.

Materials typically used for making fuselages can be suitable for use inthe present aircraft 100. These materials include, but are not limitedto, metals and metal alloys (e.g., aluminum alloys), composites (e.g.,carbon fiber-epoxy composites), and laminates (e.g., fiber-metalliclaminates), among other materials, including combinations thereof.

Kinked Fuselage

FIG. 2A is a side view illustration of an exemplary cargo aircraft 400of the present disclosure. The aircraft 400, which is shown to be over84 meters long, includes a fuselage 401 having a forward end 420defining a forward centerline C_(F400) and an aft end 440 defining anaft centerline C_(A400), with the aft centerline C_(A400) being angledup with respect to the forward centerline C_(F400). The forward and aftcenterlines C_(F400), C_(A400) define a junction or kink 431therebetween, where the forward centerline C_(F400) angles upward as theoverall aft fuselage, which is in the aft end 440, changes in directionto be angled with respect to the forward fuselage, which is in theforward end 420. This defines a kink angle α_(400k) of the aft fuselage440. The kink location 431 is contained in the kinked portion 430disposed between and connecting the forward and aft ends 420, 440. FIG.2B shows the forward centerline C_(F400) as being an approximatemidpoint between a top-most outer or upper surface 402 f and abottom-most outer or lower surface 403 f of the fuselage 401 forward ofa lateral axis of rotation A′, with the aft centerline C_(A400) being anapproximate midpoint between an upper surface 402 a and a lower surface403 a of the fuselage 401 aft of the lateral axis of rotation. FIG. 2Bshows the kink 431 between the forward centerline C_(F400) and the aftcenterline C_(A400) as being an approximate change in the angle of aplane 410′ substantially perpendicular to the centerline C_(F400) andmost of the upper and lower surfaces 402 a, 403 a extending aft from thekink 431, such that the fuselage 401 aft of the kink 431 has asubstantial portion of an approximately constant height orcross-sectional area. This represents only one example, and in otherinstances the upper surface 402 a does not necessarily extendapproximately parallel to the lower surface 402 b at all even if the aftfuselage still defines a kink 431 in the centerline.

In FIG. 2B, the angle of the aft centerline C_(A400) with respect to theforward centerline C_(F400) defines a kink or bend angle (illustrated asα_(400K) in FIG. 2A), which can be approximately equal to average of anangle a_(upper) of the after upper surface 402 a and an angle α_(lower)of the lower surface 403 a with respect to the forward centerlineC_(F400) and forward upper and lower surfaces 402 f, 403 f for the caseof a constant cross-section forward fuselage 401, as shown in FIG. 2B(hence, FIG. 2B indicating the upper and lower surfaces 402 a, 403 adefining the respective upper and lower angles α_(upper), α_(lower)). Insome instances, the angles α_(upper), α_(lower) of the aft upper andlower surfaces 402 a, 403 a vary with respect to the angle of the aftcenterline C_(A400), with the location of a substantial upwarddeflection in the overall centerline (e.g., kink 431) being defined bythe overall shape and slope of the aft fuselage with respect to theforward fuselage (or more generally the overall shape and slope of theaft end 440 with respect to the forward end 420). For example, for theaircraft 100 of FIG. 1B, the lower surface defines a lower angleα_(lower), which is approximately equal to the tailstrike angle ofapproximately 12 degrees, and the upper surface angle α_(upper) in theaft fuselage is approximately between 6 and 7 degrees. In some exemplaryembodiments, the result kink angle of the aft centerline C_(A400) can beapproximately in the range of about 0.5 degrees to about 25 degrees, andin some instance it is about 10 degrees with respect to alongitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft 100, i.e., a plane inwhich the forward centerline C_(F400) is disposed, the plane extendssubstantially parallel to the ground or a ground plane P_(400G).Further, the kink angle α_(400K) can be approximately equal to a degreeof maximal rotation of the aircraft during the takeoff operation. Stillfurther, a length of the aft end 140, i.e., the portion that is angledwith respect to the forward centerline C_(F400), can be approximately inthe range of about 15% to 65%, and in some instances about 35% to about50% of a length of the entire fuselage 101, and in some embodiments itcan be about 49% the length of the fuselage 101.

In FIG. 2C, the cargo aircraft 400 is shown on the ground 50 and rotatedabout the lateral axis of rotation to illustrate, for example, a takeoffpitch-up maneuver. In FIG. 2C, a resting plane P_(400R) of the forwardend 420 angled with respect to the ground or ground plane P_(400G) at adegree just before θ_(tailstrike), as no part of the aft end 440,empennage 450, or tail 442 is contacting the ground. In this position,the lower surface 403 a (and, approximately, the aft centerlineC_(A400)) is substantially parallel with the ground or ground planeP_(400G), and it can be seen that because the location of the centerlinekink 431 of the kinked portion 430 is approximately with, or very closeto, the lateral axis of rotation A′, the angle α_(400K) of the kink 431is approximately the maximum safe angle of rotation of the aircraft 400about the lateral axis of rotation A′. FIG. 2C shows a vertical axis 409a aligned with the location of the lateral axis of rotation A′ andanother vertical axis 409 b aligned with the kink 431 in the fuselagecenterline C_(F400), with a distance d′ therebetween. With d′ beingsmall, and the lower surface 403 a of the aft end 440 extending aft withapproximately the kink angle α_(400K) of the kink 431 or a slightlylarger angle, as shown, the aft end 440 is highly elongated withoutrisking a tail strike. Accordingly, minimizing d′ approximately sets thelower angle α_(lower) as an upper limit to the safe angle of rotationabout the lateral pitch axis. Moreover, the upward sweep of the uppersurface 402 a can be arranged to maintain a relatively largecross-sectional area along most of the aft end 440, thereby enabling asubstantial increase in the overall length of the cargo aircraft 400,and thus usable interior cargo bay within the aft end 440, withoutincreasing θ_(tailstrike). FIG. 3 shows this in further detail for thecargo aircraft 100 of FIG. 1A.

In FIG. 3 , the aft centerline C_(A) and forward centerline C_(F) of thefuselage 101 are shown intersecting at a kink location 131 just aft ofthe vertical plane P_(500V) of the lateral axis of rotation A′, whichoccurs within the kinked portion 130 connecting the forward end orfuselage 120 to the aft end or fuselage 140. The lower surface 103 ofthe aft fuselage 140 approximately defines θ_(tailstrike) of the cargoaircraft 100, which is slightly larger than a kink angle α_(100K)defined by the upslope of the aft centerline C_(A) with respect to theforward centerline C_(F). Additionally, in some examples, the aftfuselage can include a sensor 549 configured to measure the distanced_(G) of the lower surface 103 of the aft fuselage 140 to the ground 50to assist the pilot and/or computer in control of the aircraft 100 inmaximally rotating the aircraft 100 about the lateral pitch axis withouttailstrike.

FIG. 4A is side cross-section view of the cargo aircraft 100, thecross-section being taken along an approximate midline T-T of thetop-most outer surface, as shown in FIG. 1A. The cargo bay 170 defines acenterline that extends along the overall length of the cargo bay 170.The cargo bay 170 extends from a forward end 171 of a forward end orregion 170 f of the cargo bay 170, as shown located in the nose cone126, to an aft end 173 of an aft end or region 170 a of the cargo bay170, as shown located in the fuselage tail cone 142. The forward and aftregions 170 f, 170 a of the cargo bay 170 sit within the forward and aftends 120, 140, respectively, of the aircraft 100. More particularly, theforward region 170 f can generally define a forward cargo centerlineC_(FCB) that can be substantially colinear or parallel to the forwardfuselage centerline C_(F) (shown in FIG. 3 ) and the aft region 170 acan generally define an aft cargo centerline C_(ACB) that can besubstantially colinear or parallel to the aft fuselage centerline C_(A)(shown in FIG. 3 ). Accordingly, in the kinked portion 130 of thefuselage 101, which itself can include a comparable kinked portion 170 kof the cargo bay 170, where the aft fuselage centerline C_(A) bends withrespect to the forward fuselage centerline C_(F), the aft cargocenterline C_(ACB) also bends at a kink location 631 with respect to theforward cargo centerline C_(FCB). The bend can be at approximately thesame angle, as shown an angle α_(100KP), as the kink angle α_(100K) ofthe fuselage 101. The aft cargo centerline C_(ACB) can extend at leastapproximately 25% of a length of a centerline of the continuous interiorcargo bay 170, i.e., the length of the centerline throughout the entirecargo bay 170. This amount more generally can be approximately in therange of about 25% to about 50%. There are other ways to describe thesedimensional relationships as well, including, by way of non-limitingexample, a length of the aft cargo centerline C_(ACB) being at leastapproximately 45% of the length of the fuselage 101 and/or at leastapproximately 80% of a length of the fuselage 101 aft of the lateralpitch axis, among other relationships provided for herein or otherwisederivable from the present disclosures.

FIG. 4A shows the aft region 170 a of the cargo bay 170 extendingthrough almost all of the aft fuselage 140, which is a distinctadvantage of the configurations discussed herein. An aft-most terminalend of the aft bay portion can be disposed above thelongitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft 100. Moreover, due tothe length of the aft fuselage 140, a pitch 674 of structural frames 104a of the aft fuselage 140 can be angled with respect to a pitch 672 ofstructural frames 104 f of the forward fuselage 120 approximately equalto the kink angle α_(100K) of the fuselage 101. In some examples, thekinked region 130 represents an upward transition between the pitch 672of the structural frames 104 f of the forward fuselage 120 and the pitch674 of the structural frames 104 a of the aft fuselage 140. A personskilled in the art will recognize that structural frames 104 a, 104 fare merely one example of structural features or elements that can beincorporated into the fuselage 101 to provide support. Such elements canbe more generally described as circumferentially-disposed structuralelements that are oriented orthogonally along the aft centerline C_(ACB)and the forward centerline C_(FCB). In some examples, the location ofthe cargo bay kink 631 (FIG. 4A) is forward or aft of the fuselage kink131 (FIG. 3 ) such that either the forward cargo region 170 f partiallyextends into the aft fuselage 140 or the aft cargo region 170 apartially extends into the forward fuselage 120, however, this generallydepends, at least in part, on the distance between the interior of thecargo bay 170 and the exterior of the fuselage, which is typically asmall distance for cargo aircraft having a maximally sized cargo bay.Regardless, to fully utilize examples of the present disclosure, the aftregion 170 a of the cargo bay 170 can be both (1) able to besubstantially extended due to the ability of the aft fuselage 140 lengthto be extended and (2) able to extend along substantially all of thelength of the aft fuselage 140 because examples of the presentdisclosure enable aircraft to have elongated aft fuselages for a fixedtailstrike angle and/or minimized kink angle. Additionally, minimizingthe fuselage kink angle for elongated aft fuselages allows the aftregion of the cargo bay to extend further along the fuse fuselage whileincreasing the maximum straight-line payload length for a given overallaircraft length and tailstrike angle, as shown at least in FIGS. 4B and4C

FIG. 4B shows a side cross-sectional view of the fuselage 101 of thecargo aircraft 100 of FIG. 4A with a highly elongated payload 10 of twowind turbine blades 11A, 11B disposed substantially throughout theinterior cargo bay 170 and extending from the forward end 171 of theforward region 170 f to the aft end 173 of the aft region 170 a. Havingat least a portion of the aft region 170 a being linearly connected to(e.g., within line of sight) of at least a portion of the forward region170 f enables the extension of the aft region 170 a to result in anextension in the maximum overall length of a rigid payload capable ofbeing carried inside the interior cargo bay 170. Wind turbine blades,however, are often able to be deflected slightly during transport and soexamples of the present disclosure are especially suited to theirtransport as the ability to slightly deflect the payload 10 duringtransport enables even long maximum payload lengths to be achieved byfurther extending the aft end 173 of the aft region 170 a beyond theline of sight of the forward-most end 171 of the forward region 170 f.

FIG. 4C is the same cross-sectional view of the fuselage 101 of thecargo aircraft 100 of FIG. 4B with a maximum length rigid payload 90secured in the cargo bay 170. A forward end 90 f of the maximum lengthrigid payload 90 can be secured to the cantilevered tongue 160 in theforward end 171 of the forward region 170 f with a first portion of theweight of the payload 90 (shown as vector 91A) being carried by thecantilevered tongue 160 and an aft end 90 a of the maximum length rigidpayload 90 can be secured to the aft end 173 of the aft region 170 awith a second portion of the weight of the payload 90 (shown as vector91B) being carried by the aft end 173 of the aft region 170 a.

FIG. 4D is the same cross-sectional view of the fuselage 101 of thecargo aircraft 100 of FIG. 4A with a maximum weight payload 92 securedin the cargo bay 170. A forward end 92 f of the maximum weight payload92 can be secured in the forward region 170 f of the interior cargo bay170 with a first portion of the weight of the payload 92 (shown asvector 93A) being carried by the forward fuselage 120 and an aft end 92a of the maximum weight payload 92 can be secured in the aft region 170a of the interior cargo bay 170 with a second portion of the weight ofthe payload 92 (shown as vector 93B) being carried by the aft fuselage140. Advantageously, the substantial length of the cargo bay 170 forwardand aft of the a center-of-gravity of the aircraft 100 (e.g.,approximately aligned with the kinked region 130) enables positioning ofthe maximum weight payload 92 such that the payload center-of-gravity(shown as vector 94) substantially close (i.e., within about 30% of wingMean Aerodynamic Cord (MAC) or about 4% of total aircraft length) to oraligned with the center-of-gravity of the aircraft 100. In someexamples, at least about 10% of the weight of maximum weight payload 92is carried in the aft region 170 a. In some examples of carrying amaximum weight payload, especially payloads approaching a maximumlength, about 40% to about 50% could be carried in the aft region 170 ain order to center the payload’s center of gravity at a nominal locationin the cargo bay 170.

Additional details about a kinked fuselage configuration are provided incommonly-owned International Patent Application No. PCT/US20/49787,filed on Sep. 8, 2020, entitled “AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE CONFIGURATIONS FORAVOIDING TAIL STRIKE WHILE ALLOWING LONG PAYLOADS,” the content of whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Transport Vehicle, Support Structures, Fixtures, and Aspects Related tothe Same

The present disclosure provides for, among other things, loading and/orunloading of large cargo in an efficient manner without the need formanual or powered adjustment of the payload during fore-aft movement ofthe payload within the cargo bay. As described in detail below, this canbe accomplished by moving the payload along a curved path concurrentlywith a fore-aft motion within the cargo bay during at least a portion ofthe loading or unloading process, for example, following a “slideaboard” or linear translation of the payload into the cargo bay (or outof the cargo bay during an unloading procedure). One or more supportstructures can be disposed, either removably or permanently, within thecargo bay that can form the curved path for the payload to travel along.As used herein, “curved path” refers to a path defined by a circulararc, such that as the payload moves along the path the payload rotatesabout an arc center point, resulting in the payload moving along thearc. In other words, as the payload moves along the curved path, thepayload remains a fixed radial height (as measured along a radius fromthe center point of the arc to the curved path) about the curved path,i.e., a portion or portions of the one or more support structures thatform the curved path.

By way of high-level introduction, FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment ofthe aircraft 100 with a curved path extending through at least a portionof the interior cargo bay 170 in accordance with the present disclosure.More particularly, a forward support structure 23A and an aft supportstructure 27 can form the curved path 29, with motion therealongindicated by arrow M_(C), which can extend at least partially throughthe kinked bay portion 170 k into the aft bay 170 a. In someembodiments, the curved path can extend from the forward bay, throughthe kinked bay, and into the aft bay. The forward and aft supportstructures 23A, 27 can be secured, either permanently or removably, tothe bottom contact surface 172 of the interior cargo bay 170. In someembodiments, one or both of the forward and aft support structures 23A,27 can be secured directly to the bottom contact surface 172 of theinterior cargo bay 170. In other embodiments one or both of the forwardand aft support structures 23A, 27 can be secured to one or more baserails or similar feature disposed on or connected to the bottom contactsurface 172. The forward and aft support structures 23A, 27 can extend avarying vertical distance H_(V) above the bottom contact surface 172 towhich the structures are secured over a length of each structure 23A, 27such that a top or upper end of each structure forms the curved path. Insome embodiments, at least one rail 29, 31 (FIG. 7D) can form or extendalong the upper end of each of the forward and aft support structures23A, 27. The forward and aft support structures 23A, 27 can be disposedwithin the cargo bay 170 such that the at least one rail 29, 31 of thesupport structures 23A, 27 align to form the curved path.

The payload can move along the support structures, e.g., by rolling orsliding along the support structures, such that the payload travelsalong the curved path concurrently with forward-aft motion of thepayload. The curved path 29, 31 formed by the forward support structure23A and aft support structure 27 can be defined by a circular arc, withthe path extending along a radial section of the arc relative to an arccenter point. To accommodate the large size of the payload 10 andappropriate dimensions of the aircraft 100, the arc center point C canbe located well above the aircraft 100. In other words, a radius r ofthe arc along which the curved path 29, 31 is formed can be very largesuch that, in some instances, to the naked eye it may appear that apayload is moving along a diagonal as the payload travels in the fore oraft direction along the curved path 29, 31. The large radial dimensioncan allow for the curved path 29, 31 to be formed as an approximation ofa curve using piece-wise linear segments with a negligible amount ofdeviation from an ideal curved profile. Accordingly, in someembodiments, the at least one rail that forms the curved path can be aseries of piecewise-linear rail segments that approximate a curve. Byway of non-limiting example, a radial dimension r of the arc, asmeasured from the upper end of the support structures 23A, 27 that formthe curved path to the center point C of the arc, can be approximatelybetween about 800 feet to about 6000 feet, or more approximately betweenabout 1200 feet to about 3000 feet. In some embodiments the radialdimension r of the arc, as measured from the upper end of the supportstructures 23A, 27 that form the curved path to the center point C ofthe arc, can be greater than about 1500 feet, greater than about 2000feet, or greater than about 2500 feet. Further description of methods,systems, and structures of the present disclosure is provided below.

FIGS. 6A 6B 7-8 illustrate in greater detail components of systems thatcan be used to load and/or unload a payload in accordance with thepresent disclosure, i.e., moving the payload along a curved path as thepayload travels in the forward-aft direction with respect to a cargoaircraft during at least a portion of the loading or unloading process.FIG. 6A illustrates one embodiment of a transport vehicle or transportvehicle system 20 that can include a plurality of transports 22 andvehicle support spans or lower trusses 24 and can be utilized to move apayload 10 to a cargo aircraft for loading (or away from the cargoaircraft for unloading). The transport vehicle 20 is shown in greaterdetail in FIG. 6B. Returning to FIG. 6A, a forward support structure 23Aand a ground support structure 23B can be disposed on and selectivelycoupled to the transport vehicle 20 such that the support structures23A, 23B can selectively move relative to and along the transportvehicle 20. In some embodiments, the support structures 23A, 23B, 27 caninclude one or more trusses, but other configurations for supportstructures are possible. A more detailed discussion of one embodiment oftruss-style support structures is set forth below in connection withFIGS. 7D and 7E.

The forward and ground support structures 23A, 23B can be locked orotherwise secured to the transport vehicle such that the supportstructures remain stationary with respect to the transport vehicle, orcan be unlocked or otherwise configured to permit translation of thesupport structures relative to or along the transport vehicle. Thesupport structures 23A, 23B can include, or otherwise be used with,appropriate features and devices to secure it to the transport vehicle,such as tiedown rings, manual or power-operated locking pins, e.g., thatcan interface with counterpart components on the transport vehicle suchas a clevis pin receptacle or open hook, gear racks, or articulatedstruts, among others. Such locking features and devices can be appliedto various aspects of the present disclosure that utilize selectivelocking, e.g., locking a payload-receiving fixture to a supportstructure, locking a support structure to a bottom contact surface of acargo bay, locking a support structure to a transport vehicle, etc.

The payload 10 can be selectively coupled to the forward and groundsupport structures 23A, 23B such that the payload can selectively moverelative to and along forward and ground support structures 23A, 23B. Insome embodiments, the payload 10 can include a plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures 12 that can receive a large cargo, such asturbine blades 11A, 11B, such that the large cargo and the fixtures 12can move as a unit relative to the forward and ground support structures23A, 23B. Details of the payload-receiving fixtures 12 are describedbelow in connection with FIGS. 8 and 9I. Each payload-receiving fixturecan be locked or otherwise secured to forward and ground supportstructures 23A, 23B such that the payload-receiving fixtures remainstationary with respect to the support structures, or can be unlocked orotherwise configured to permit translation of the payload-receivingfixtures 12 relative to or along the support structures. Thepayload-receiving fixtures can be locked or unlocked using any of themethods or mechanisms described above in connection with the supportstructures 23A, 23B, or equivalent methods or mechanisms as would berecognized by one skilled in the art.

As shown, the payload 10 includes two wind turbine blades 11A, 11B, heldwith respect to each other by payload-receiving fixtures 12. Thepayload-receiving fixtures 12 are generally considered part of thepayload, although in an alternative interpretation, the payload 10 canjust be configured to be the blades 11A, 11B. This payload 10 can beconsidered irregular in that the shape, size, and weight distributionacross the length of the payload is complex, causing a center of gravityof the payload to be at a separate location than a geometric centroid ofthe payload. One dimension (length) greatly exceeds the others (widthand height), the shape varies with complex curvature nearly everywhere,and the relative fragility of the payload requires a minimum clearancebe maintained at all times as well as fixturing support the length ofthe cargo at several locations even under the payload’s own weight undergravity. Additional irregular payload criteria can include objects withprofiles normal to a lengthwise axis rotate at different stations alongthat axis, resulting in a lengthwise twist (e.g., wind turbine bladespanwise twist) or profiles are located along a curved (rather thanlinear) path (e.g., wind turbine blade in-plane sweep). Additionally,irregular payloads include objects where a width, depth, or height varynon-monotonically along the length of the payload (e.g., wind turbineblade thickness can be maximal at the max chord station, potentiallytapering to a smaller cylinder at the hub and to a thin tip). The termirregular package will be similarly understood.

The payload 10, which can also be referred to as a package, particularlywhen multiple objects (e.g., more than one blade, a blade(s) andballast(s)) are involved, possibly secured together and manipulated as asingle unit, can be delivered to the aircraft 100 using most anysuitable devices, systems, vehicles, or methods for transporting a largepayload on the ground. A package can involve a single object though. Inthe illustrated embodiment, a transport vehicle 20 includes a pluralityof wheeled mobile transporters 22 linked together by a plurality ofspans, as shown trusses 24. In some instances, one or more of thewheeled mobile transporters 22 can be self-propelled, or the transportvehicle 20 more generally can be powered by itself in some fashion.Alternatively, or additionally, an outside mechanism can be used to movethe vehicle 20, such as a large vehicle to push or pull the vehicle 20,or various mechanical systems that can be used to move large payloads,such as various combinations of winches, pulleys, cables, cranes, and/orpower drive units. As will be described in detail below, a first orforward support structure 23A and a back or ground support structure 23Bcan be removably coupled to the vehicle 20. The fixtures 12 can beremovably coupled to the support structures 23 such that the fixtures 12can move both with the support structure 23 and relative thereto. Itwill be appreciated that while two support structures 23A, 23B areillustrated, a greater or fewer number of support structures can beremovably coupled to the vehicle 20, so long as the support structurescan safely and securely support the payload 10 and accompanying fixtures12.

FIG. 6B illustrates one embodiment of the transport vehicle 20 ingreater detail. The vehicle system 20 can include a plurality oftransporters 22 and a support span, as shown trusses 24, extendingbetween each of the transporters 22. The transporters 22 can be wheeledvehicles configured to move along a surface, such as ground, up or downa ramp, and/or in an interior cargo bay of an aircraft, among othersurfaces. The transporters 22 can be operated independent of oneanother, or they can be operable collectively as a single unit. Thetransporters 22 can be self-propelled and/or self-powered such that anoutside mechanism, such as pushing or towing vehicle, does not need tocontact the transporters 22, or any part of the system 20, to advance,drive, or otherwise move the transporters 22 and system 20. As shown,the transporters 22 include wheels 22 w. Alternatively, or additionally,with respect to any of the transporters provided for herein or otherwisederivable from the present disclosures, other transportation means canbe used that allow for movement across a ground, including, for exampleskis, skids, linked tracks (e.g., tractor tracks, military tank tracks),articulated legs, or air cushions in the manner of a hovercraft. Controlof the transporters 22 and/or the system 20 can be performed using anyknown techniques for controlling a vehicle remotely, including but notlimited to one or more controllers or control pads in communication withsystems and/or other components provided for on the transporters (e.g.,power system, electrical controls, motor, etc.).

Disposed between each transporter 22 can be one or more support spans.In the illustrated embodiment, the support spans are trusses, although aperson skilled in the art will recognize a variety of structures thatcan be used to couple transporters 22 together and provide adequatesupport for a payload. The trusses 24 can include a plurality of rails24 a, 24 b that are disposed substantially parallel to each other, alongwith various crossbeams that provide additional strength to the truss24. In embodiments in which base rails are disposed in the aircraft, therails of the truss can be complementary in size to the base rails on theaircraft to allow for easy transition from one to the other. The lengthand number of trusses can depend, at least in part, on the number oftransporters 22 being used and the size and weight of the payload 10.More generally, fewer or more transporters 22 and trusses 24 can be usedas desired. In the illustrated embodiment, the trusses 24 extend acrossan entire top surface of each transporter 22, although in otherembodiments the trusses can extend along only a portion of the topsurface of one or more of the transporters 22. Generally the supportspans are configured in a manner such that the do not interfere with theoperation of the system 20, and thus, for example, a height of thetrusses 24 in the illustrated embodiment is such that they do notcontact the ground. However, the trusses may optionally be permitted tosag and intentionally contact the ground under some loading situationsto alleviate stresses within the trusses and thereby reduce the amountof material required to construct them.

FIGS. 7A-7E provide for a schematic illustration of one exemplaryembodiment of loading a large payload 10 into the aircraft 100. Forillustrative purposes, the left half of the fuselage 101 (with respectto the aircraft’s direction of flight), i.e., the right half of thefuselage 101 when viewed from the front of the aircraft, has beenremoved from these figures. Further details of moving the payload 10along the curved path will be described in connection with the same. Asshown, the cargo nose door 126 is swung upwards into its open position,exposing the portion of the interior cargo bay 170 associated with thefixed portion 128 of the fuselage 101, which can extend through thekinked portion 130 and through essentially the entirety of the aft end140. The cargo opening 171 provides access to the interior cargo bay170, and the cantilevered tongue 160 (see FIG. 1C) can be used to helpinitially receive the payload.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the transport vehicle 20 can be driven or otherwisemoved to the forward end 120 of the aircraft 100, proximate to the cargoopening 171. When driving or moving the transport vehicle 20 to theforward end 120 of the aircraft 100, the payload 10 can be locked orotherwise secured to the support structures 23A, 23B and the supportstructures can be locked or otherwise secured to the transport vehicle20, such that the payload, support structures, and transport vehicle canmove as one unit. An aft support structure 27 can be disposed within theaft portion 170 a of the cargo bay 170 such that the aft supportstructure 27 is secured in a fixed position relative to the cargo bay170. The aft support structure 27 can be either permanently or removablydisposed in the aft cargo bay 170. For example, in some embodiments theaft support structure 27 can be formed integrally with the bottomcontact surface 172 of the aft cargo bay 170 a. In other embodiments,the aft support structure 27 can be either permanently or removablycoupled to the bottom contact surface 172 of the aft cargo bay 170 a,e.g., by locking a lower end of the aft support structure 27 to one ormore base rails extending along the bottom contact surface of the aftcargo bay, and/or to the bottom contact surface 172 itself. Notably, theaft support structure 27 can remain stationary and securely disposedwithin the aft cargo bay 170 a as the payload 10 is loaded into and/orunloaded from the cargo bay 170, regardless of the permanence and/ormechanism of coupling the aft support structure 27 within the aft cargobay 170 a.

The payload 10 can be moved from the transport vehicle 20 and into theinterior cargo bay 170. From the orientation illustrated in FIG. 7A,i.e., with the transport vehicle 20, support structures 23A, 23B, andpayload 10 proximate to the cargo opening 171, the support structures23A, 23B can be placed in a movably coupled configuration relative tothe transport vehicle 20. As a result, the structures 23A, 23B andpayload 10 can remain coupled, but they can be movable relative to thetransport vehicle 20. For example, the support structures 23A, 23B canbe unlocked relative to the transport vehicle 20 at a plurality oflocations 30 along a length of the transport vehicle. A person skilledin the art will appreciate that the illustrated locations 30 can beother locations along the length of the transport vehicle 20, and feweror more locations can be used as desired. FIGS. 7B and 7C illustratesnapshots of an initial “slide aboard” phase in which the payload 10 andforward support structure 23A can be moved through the cargo opening 171and into the forward portion 170 f of the cargo bay 170. Moreparticularly, FIG. 7B (which, for illustrative purposes, does not showthe payload 10) shows one embodiment of a start position of the initial“slide aboard” phase just prior to movement of the support structures23A, 23B and payload 10 relative to the transport vehicle 20. With thesupport structures 23A, 23B in the movably coupled configuration, thesupport structures 23A, 23B, together with the payload 10, can movetowards the aircraft 100 in the direction of arrow F_(i) as shown inFIGS. 7B and 7C, relative to the transport vehicle 20. The payload 10,i.e., the fixtures 12, and the blades 11A, 11B received therein, canremain locked or otherwise secured to the support structures 23A, 23B asthe support structures move such that the support structures and payloadmove together as a unit relative to the transport vehicle. In someembodiments, the motion Li of the support structures 23A, 23B andpayload 10 can be pure linear translation such that the forward supportstructure 23A and the payload 10 can linearly translate through thecargo opening 171 and into the forward bay 170 f.

Movement of the support structures 23A, 23B and payload 10 can beaccomplished using various combinations of one or more winches, pulleys,cables, cranes, and/or power drive units, as described herein andderivable therefrom. For example, a combination of cables, pulleys, andspools can be utilized in the loading and/or unloading the cargo asillustrated in FIGS. 10A-10L. A more detailed description of suchcomponents and related methods is set forth below in connection withthose figures. FIGS. 7A-7E are illustrated without any such cables,pulleys, and spools, etc. for illustrative purposes only.

FIG. 7C illustrates one embodiment of a final position of the “slideaboard” phase, in which the support structures 23A, 23B have translatedrelative to the transport vehicle 20 such that the forward supportstructure 23A is disposed within the forward bay portion 170 f of thecargo bay 170, along with at least a portion of the payload 10 coupledto the forward support structure. More particularly, and as described indetail below, the forward support structure 23A can align with the aftsupport structure 27 that is disposed in the aft cargo bay 170 a to forma path that extends from the forward bay, through the kinked bay, andinto the aft bay. As used herein, the forward support structure 23A canbe considered to be “aligned” with the aft support structure 27 when adistal end 23A_(D) of the forward support structure 23A contacts, abuts,or is otherwise placed in close proximity to a proximal end 27 _(P) ofthe aft support structure 27 to provide a continuous or substantiallycontinuous path along which the payload can travel without disruption.

The path formed by the forward support structure 23A and the aft supportstructure 27 can enable the payload 10 to move along a curved path inthe aft direction from the forward bay, through the kinked bay, and intothe aft bay 170 a (or in a forward direction from the aft bay, e.g., forunloading the payload 10 from the cargo aircraft 100). As noted above,moving the payload along a curved path can refer to moving the payloadalong a path defined by a circular arc such that, as the payload movesalong the path in the fore-aft direction, the payload concurrentlyrotates about a center point of the arc thereby resulting in the payloadmoving along the arc. For example, the forward support structure 23A andthe aft support structure 27 can include at least one rail 29 _(FS), 31_(FS), 29 _(AS), 31 _(AS) (see FIG. 7D) such that, when the forwardsupport structure 23A is in the position illustrated in FIG. 7C, i.e.,aligned with the aft support structure 27 in the final position of theslide-aboard phase, each rail 29 _(FS), 31 _(FS) of the forward supportstructure 23A can align with a corresponding rail 29 _(AS), 31 _(AS) ofthe aft support structure 27 to form a curved path 29, 31 along whichthe payload 10 can move in the forward-aft direction.

In some embodiments, and as can be seen in FIGS. 7D and 7E, the forwardsupport structure 23A and aft support structure 27 can include a firstframe or truss 33 _(FS), 33 _(AS) and a second frame or truss 35 _(FS),35 _(AS) that can extend substantially parallel to the first frame. Theframes 33 _(FS), 33 _(AS), 35 _(FS), 35 _(AS), can extend longitudinallyin the forward-aft direction. While the illustrated embodiment showseach support structure 23A, 27 with two frames 33 _(FS), 33 _(AS), 35_(FS), 35 _(AS), a greater or fewer number of frames can be utilized,e.g., to provide an appropriate amount of stability and support for agiven payload. Each frame can extend vertically from a lower end 33_(FSL), 33 _(ASL), 35 _(FSL), 35 _(ASL) to an upper end 33 _(FSU), 33_(ASU), 35 _(FSU), 35 _(ASU). A plurality of support beams 34 can extendbetween the upper and lower ends of each frame 33 _(FS), 33 _(AS), 35_(FS), 35 _(AS) that can provide structural support and strength to theframe. A length of the beams 34 can vary longitudinally along each frameto accommodate a varying vertical height of the upper end of the frame.

The at least one rail 29 _(FS), 31 _(FS), 29 _(AS), 31 _(AS) can form orbe formed along the upper end of each frame 33 _(FS), 33 _(AS), 35_(FS), 35 _(AS) of the support structures 23A, 27. Similarly, the groundsupport structure 23B can include a first frame 33 _(GS) and a secondframe 35 _(GS), with a rail 29 _(GS), 31 _(GS) formed at or forming anupper end 33 _(GSU), 35 _(GSU) of each frame. A lower end 33 _(FSL), 35_(FSL), 33 _(GSL), 35 _(GSL) of each frame 33 _(FS), 35 _(FS), 33 _(GS),35 _(GS) of the forward support structure 23A and the ground supportstructure 23B can be configured to removably couple to the transportvehicle 20 and, in the case of the forward support structure 23A, to theinterior cargo bay 170, such that the forward and ground supportstructures can translate relative thereto. For example, the lower end ofeach frame can include one or more wheels that can roll along thetransport vehicle 20 and bottom contact surface 172 of the cargo bay170, e.g., along the rails 24 a, 24 b of the transport vehicle 20 and/orbase rail(s) of the cargo bay 170. In some embodiments, the lower end ofeach frame 33 _(AS), 35 _(AS) of the aft support structure 27 canlikewise be configured to removably couple to the interior cargo bay170. In other embodiments, the lower end of each frame 33 _(AS), 35_(AS) of the aft support structure 27 can be permanently fixed withrespect to the interior cargo bay 170. For sake of brevity, inembodiments in which a plurality of frames form a support structure, theterms forward support structure 23A, ground support structure 23B, andaft support structure 27 can be used to collectively and generally referto the plurality of frames, as will be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art in view of the present disclosure where such aninterpretation is appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the payload 10 is partially disposed in theinterior cargo bay 170 and remains coupled to the forward supportstructure 23A and ground support structure 23B, and thus is partiallystill supported by the transport vehicle 20. A distal end 10 d of thepayload 10 is disposed in the forward bay 170 f, as it has not yetreached the kinked portion 130 of the aircraft 100. The forward supportstructure 23A can be secured within the forward bay portion 170 f of thecargo bay 170, e.g., by locking the forward support structure to thebottom contact surface 172 of the bay 170. The ground support structure23B can be similarly secured to the transport vehicle 20. In thismanner, the forward support structure 23A and the ground supportstructure 23B can remain stationary relative to the cargo bay 170 andvehicle transport 20 until further action is taken to unlock the forwardand ground support structures 23A, 23B. The payload 10 can be unlockedfrom the ground and forward support structures 23A, 23B such that thepayload 10 can move relative to the support structures and into the aftportion 170 a of the cargo bay 170.

The system and/or methods used to move the support structures 23A, 23Band payload 10 into the partially loaded position illustrated in FIG.7C, as discussed in detail below, can continue to be employed to movethe payload 10 into the fully loaded position illustrated in FIGS. 7Dand 7E, while the support structures 23A, 23B remain stationary. Moreparticularly, the payload 10 can be moved in the aft direction along thecurved path formed by the forward support structure 23A and the aftsupport structure 27 into the aft portion 170 a of the cargo bay. FIGS.7D and 7E illustrate a snapshot from a forward perspective and rearperspective, respectively, of the loading process in which the payload10 is fully received within the interior cargo bay 170. As shown, thedistal end 10 d of the payload 10 is disposed in the interior cargo bay170 at the aft end 140, a proximal end 10 p of the payload 10 isdisposed in the interior cargo bay 170 at the forward end 120 (forexample, on the cantilevered tongue 160, although the tongue is noteasily visible in FIG. 7D, and the payload does not necessarily have tobe disposed on the tongue 160), and the intermediate portion of thepayload 10 disposed between the proximal and distal ends 10 p, 10 dextends from the forward end 120, through the kinked portion 130, andinto the aft end 140. As shown, the payload 10 is coupled to the forwardand aft support structures 23A, 27 and secured by locking thepayload-receiving fixtures 12 thereto. The forward and aft supportstructures 23A, 27, in turn, are coupled to the bottom contact surface172 of the interior cargo bay 170 and secured relative thereto. Thepayload 10 can be loaded into the interior cargo bay 170 such that thedistal end 10 d of the payload 10 is received within the aft bay portion, as shown in FIGS. 7D and 7E, without adjustment by way of manual orpowered adjustment of the fixtures 12, which, in other loading processesmay be necessary to accommodate and/or counter upwards motion of theblades 11A, 11B in connection with aft-wards movement of the payload 10.Adjustable fixtures can be used in context with the present supportstructures 23A, 23B, 27, but one benefit of the present disclosure isbeing able to load and/or unload large payloads without having to relyupon that extra degree of freedom or adjustment. Once the payload 10 isfully disposed in the interior cargo bay 170, it can be secured withinthe cargo bay 170 using techniques provided for herein, incommonly-owned applications, or otherwise known to those skilled in theart.

Payload Receiving Fixtures

FIG. 8 illustrates one non-limiting embodiment of a payload-receivingfixture 112 that can be used in accordance with the present disclosureto couple and secure a large cargo, e.g., turbine blades 11A, 11B,within the interior cargo bay 170. While the present disclosure permitsthe transportation of a wide variety of large (and small for thatmatter) cargos, in the illustrated embodiment the payload 10 includestwo wind turbine blades 11A, 11B. In at least some instances, thepayload 10 can be referred to as a package, particularly when multipleobjects (e.g., more than one blade, a blade(s) and ballast(s)) areinvolved, possibly secured together and manipulated together as singleunit. A package can involve a single object though. The blades 11A, 11Bare restrained in relative position with respect to each other by aplurality of payload-receiving fixtures 12, 112. The payload-receivingfixture illustrated in FIG. 8 can be configured to receive, support, andrestrain a mid-section of one or more turbine blades 11A, 11B or othercargo. Accordingly, the payload-receiving fixture 112 of FIG. 7 can bereferred to as a mid-span payload-receiving feature 112. The mid-payloadreceiving feature 112 can have a plurality of fixture components,including a lower component 112L, a mid-component 112M, and an uppercomponent 112U (see FIG. 9I) that can be removably secured to oneanother, as described in detail below. A first payload-receiving recess113A can be formed between the lower component 112L and themid-component 112M of the payload-receiving fixture 112 and can receivea portion of one of the two turbine blades 11A, 11B therein. A secondpayload-receiving recess 113B (see FIG. 9I) can be formed between themid-component 112M and the upper-component 112U of the payload-receivingfixture 112 and can receive a portion of the other one of the twoturbine blades 11A, 11B therein. Another embodiment of apayload-receiving fixture 12 is a root payload-receiving fixture 212A,as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9C. The root payload-receiving fixture 212A canbe configured to receive, support, and restrain a root or hub, e.g., aterminal end, of one or more turbine blades 11A, 11B or other cargo.

Other payload-receiving fixtures, either provided for herein orotherwise derivable in view of the present disclosures, can also be usedin conjunction with packaging the blades 11A, 11B (or a payload moregenerally). Each fixture 112, 212 can be removably and slidably coupledto one or more of the support structures 23A, 23B, 27 such that thefixtures 112, 212 can selectively move relative to and along the supportstructures 23A, 23B, 27 by way of carriages 114, 214 (FIG. 9A),respectively, using techniques known to those skilled in the art forsecuring a large and/or heavy payload (or any payload for that matter,regardless of size or weight) to a truss, rail, or other structure. Inother words, each fixture 112, 212 can be removably coupled to the oneor more support structures 23A, 23B, 27 with a single translationaldegree of freedom. For example, the carriages 114, 214 can include aplurality of wheels 114 w that can roll or slide along the rail(s) ofthe support structures 23A, 23B, 27 to selectively move thepayload-receiving fixture 112, 212. The wheels 114 w can be lockedrelative to the support structures 23A, 23B, 27 such that thepayload-receiving fixture 112, 212 and the blades 11A, 11B or othercargo received therein can be held stationary or fixed relative to thesupport structures. Further, while the illustrated embodiment providesfor two wind turbine blades, any number of wind turbine blades can beused in conjunction with the present disclosure, including but notlimited to one blade, three blades, four blades, five blades, sixblades, seven blades, eight blades, etc. As more blades are added, thesize and weight of the payload may increase and/or the size of theblades may be reduced and/or the size of a cargo bay in which the bladesare to be transported may be changed and/or a size of a transportvehicle or system may be changed accordingly.

Additional details about payload-receiving fixtures are provided incommonly-owned International Patent Application No. PCT/US20/49782,filed on Sep. 8, 2020, entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND VEHICLES FORTRANSPORTING LARGE CARGO ONTO AND OFF A TRANSPORT VEHICLE,” the contentof which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Loading and Unloading Large Cargo Utilizing a Curved Path

An irregular payload can present unique challenges when loading orunloading the payload into or out of a cargo bay of an aircraft. Forexample, as an irregular payload is moved from the forward end of thecargo bay into the aft end of the cargo bay the payload can tend to rideup or rise vertically as the payload is moved through the kinked portionof the cargo bay. One way to accommodate such motion can be use one ormore payload-receiving fixtures that can be powered or actuated to raisewith the natural rise of the cargo. Such powered payload-receivingfixtures, however, can require a great amount of energy and an increasein size and weight of the payload-receiving fixture itself. Systems andmethods of the present disclosure provide for loading and unloading thepayload along a curved path such that the payload can move through thecargo bay without requiring adjustment of the payload-receivingfixtures. Accordingly, the size and weight of the payload-receivingfixtures can be minimized, and energy expenditure lowered during theloading and unloading process. One non-limiting embodiment of preparingand loading a cargo package onto a cargo aircraft utilizing a curvedpath in accordance with the present disclosure is described with respectto FIGS. 9A-10L.

Assembling a Cargo Payload Package

FIGS. 9A-9I illustrate one embodiment of a method of assembling a cargopackage or payload 10 in accordance with the present disclosure, e.g.,in preparation for loading onto a cargo aircraft. In the illustratedembodiment, the payload 10 includes two turbine blades 11A, 11B,however, the present disclosure is by no means limited to suchcomponents. FIG. 9A shows a transport vehicle 20 prepared to receive apayload 10 (see FIG. 9B) for loading into a cargo aircraft, as describedabove. The transport vehicle 20 can include transporters 22 and trusses24 extending between the transporters. A forward support structure 23Aand a ground support structure 23B can be locked or otherwise secured tothe transport vehicle 20, for example, by locking a lower end 23A_(L),23B_(L) of each support structure to one or more rails 24A, 24B (seeFIG. 6B) of the transport vehicle 20.

A plurality of payload-receiving fixtures 212A, 212B, 112A, 112B can beplaced on the support structures 23A, 23B and locked or otherwisesecured to restrain relative movement between the payload-receivingfixtures and the support structures. In the illustrated embodiment, theplurality of payload-receiving fixtures can include two rootpayload-receiving fixtures 212A, 212B and two mid-span payload-receivingfixtures 112A, 112B. With respect to the mid-span payload receivingfixtures 112A, 112B, the lower components 112A_(L), 112B_(L) of eachmid-span fixture can be present and secured to the forward supportstructure 23A and ground support structure 23B, respectively, as shownin the configuration of FIG. 9I, i.e., prior to placement of the turbineblades 11A, 11B within the payload-receiving fixtures. The mid-fixturecomponent 112A_(M), 112B_(M) and upper-fixture components 112Au, 112Bucan be assembled at later steps in the illustrated embodiment. Thenumber, type, and placement of payload-receiving fixtures can vary basedon, for example, physical characteristics and handling requirements of aparticular cargo. A variety of different payload-receiving fixtures,provided for herein, disclosed in other commonly-owned applications,and/or known to those skilled in the art can be used in conjunction withpresent disclosures.

With the payload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B, 212A, 212B locked to thesupport structures 23A, 23B, and the support structures 23A, 23B lockedto the transport vehicle 20, a turbine blade 11A can be placed withinthe payload-receiving fixtures as shown in FIG. 9B. It will beappreciated that the discussion pertaining to assembly of the cargopackage set forth herein can be applied to instances in which thepayload-receiving fixtures and support structures are located remotelyfrom the transport vehicle. In such cases, the support structures, withthe payload assembled and coupled thereto, can be moved as a single unitand loaded onto the transport vehicle. The turbine blade 11A can belowered into one or more of the payload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B,212A, 212B, for example by one or more cranes 300A, 300B or otherappropriate means, and secured within the one or more payload-receivingfixtures. For example, a root of the blade 11A can be secured to theroot payload-receiving fixture 212A that is coupled and secured to theforward support structure 23A, as shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C. The root ofthe blade 11A can be secured with respect to the root payload-receivingfixture 212A using any techniques known to those skilled in the art,such as passing fasteners (e.g., screws) into and through pre-formedholes disposed around an opening of the fixture 212A that receives theroot of the blade 11A. The turbine blade 11A can extend through and besecured to at least one of mid-span payload-receiving fixtures 112A,112B. The turbine blade 11A can extend through and be secured to atleast the mid-span payload-receiving fixture 112B that is coupled andsecured to the ground support structure 23B. The embodiment of the cargopackage assembly process illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9I can utilize twocranes 300A, 300B to perform various steps as described herein. In somefigures, only one crane is shown for sake of simplicity, and one skilledin the art will appreciate that the second crane may remain present andmay operate in a similar fashion. Any number of cranes can be used andre-used through the cargo package assembly process, including adifferent crane for each loading step or the same crane across multiplesteps.

As shown in FIGS. 9D and 9E, the mid-fixture component 112B_(M) of themid-span payload-receiving fixture 112B can be connected to thelower-fixture component 112B_(L) to secure the turbine blade 11Areceived within the lower-fixture component. For example, themid-fixture component 112B_(M) can be lowered towards the blade 11A andlower-fixture component 112B_(L) and secured thereto. FIG. 9E shows ingreater detail the mid-fixture component 112B_(M) lowered in by thecrane 300B such that the mid-fixture component is located above theturbine blade 11A in alignment with the lower-fixture component112B_(L). The mid-fixture component 112B_(M) can couple to thelower-fixture component 112B_(L), for example at coupling locations 113located on either side of the turbine blade 11A, such that the turbineblade 11A is held securely within the mid-span payload-receiving fixture112B between the lower-fixture component 112B_(L) and the mid-fixturecomponent 112B_(M).

A similar series of steps can be performed to assemble the secondturbine blade 11B to be part of the payload 10 and load the payload 10onto the transport vehicle 20. As shown in FIG. 9F, the second turbineblade 11B can be lowered by the cranes 300A, 300B and placed within oneor more of the payload-receiving fixtures. In the illustratedembodiment, a root of the turbine blade 11B can be placed within theroot payload-receiving fixture 212B secured to the ground supportstructure 23B. The root of the turbine blade 11B can be secured therein.A portion of the turbine blade 11B can also be received within themid-span payload receiving fixtures 112A, 112B. For example, the turbineblade 11B can be lowered or otherwise placed on the lower-fixturecomponent 112A_(L) of the mid-span payload receiving fixture 112Asecured to the forward support structure 23A (see FIG. 9G), and can belowered or otherwise placed on the mid-fixture component 112B_(M) of thepayload-receiving fixture 112B secured to the ground support structure23B (see FIG. 9I). As described above with respect to FIGS. 9D and 9E,the mid-fixture component 112A_(M) of the payload-receiving fixture 112can be lowered and secured to the lower-fixture component 112A_(L) suchthat the turbine blade 11B is received therebetween. The upper-fixturecomponents 112Au, 112Bu for each of the mid-span payload receivingfixtures 112A, 112B can be lowered onto the mid-fixture components112A_(M), 112B_(M), e.g., by the cranes 300A, 300B, as shown in FIG. 9H.FIG. 9I illustrates in greater detail the mid-span payload-receivingfixture 112B that is secured to the ground support structure 23B (notshown in FIG. 9I for illustrative purposes). More particularly, thecrane 300B can lower the upper-fixture component 112Bu such that theturbine blade 11B is located between the upper-fixture component 112Buand the mid-fixture components 112B_(M) of the payload-receiving fixture112B. The upper-fixture component 112Bu can be coupled to themid-fixture component 112B_(M) at one or more coupling locations 115such that the turbine blade 11B is securely received therebetween. Whilenot shown, a similar process can be applied to the mid-spanpayload-receiving fixture 112A that is secured to the forward supportstructure 23A. In this manner, the turbine blades 11A, 11B can besecurely received within the payload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B,212A, 212B and coupled to the support structures 23A, 23B and thus, thetransport vehicle 20. The cranes 300A, 300B can be retracted orotherwise moved away from the payload package 10, which in thisillustrated embodiment includes the turbine blades 11A, 11B and thepayload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B, 212A, 212B, support structures23A, 23B, transport vehicle 10 such that the assembled payload packageis ready for transport to an aircraft for loading (see FIG. 6A).

Loading a Payload into a Cargo Bay Utilizing a Curved Path

In general terms, loading a payload 10 onto a cargo aircraft 100 inaccordance with the present disclosure can include an initial“slide-aboard” or translation phase of the payload 10 into the forwardend 120 of the aircraft 100, and subsequent aft movement of the payload10 along a curved path into the aft portion 170 a of the cargo bay. Theslide-aboard phase can include translating the forward support structure23A into the forward portion 170 f of the cargo bay, either prior to orconcurrent with translation of the payload 10, and into alignment withthe aft support structure 27 disposed within the aft portion 170 a ofthe cargo bay. As discussed above, the forward and aft supportstructures 23A, 27 can form a path along which the payload can move inthe aft direction in an arc-like motion, i.e., rotating about a centerpoint of an arc while concurrently moving aft within the cargo bay 170.With the curved path formed, e.g., by rails 29, 31 of the forward andaft support structures 23A, 27, the payload can be moved aft-ward fromthe forward portion 170 f, through the kinked portion 170 k, and intothe aft portion 170 a of the cargo bay to a final fully-loaded position.Notably, movement of the payload 10 along the curved path into the aftbay 170 a can change an attitude of the payload relative to the bottomcontact surface 172 of the cargo bay, such that a distal end 10 d of thepayload 10 approaches the bottom contact surface of the aft bay 170 a ofthe cargo bay as the payload 10 moves in the aft direction beyond thekinked bay 170 k. In this manner, a vertical distance, or height, thatthe payload 10 extends above the bottom contact surface 172 in the aftportion 170 a of the cargo bay can be reduced as compared to a purelylinear movement of the payload into the aft bay.

FIGS. 10A-10L illustrate one embodiment of loading a large cargo, e.g.,the payload package 10 assembled as described above, onto the cargoaircraft 100. Components of FIGS. 10A-10L can have the same or similarfeatures of the like-numbered components described in detail above.Accordingly, description of the structure, operation, and use of suchfeatures and/or components are omitted herein for the sake of brevity.It will be appreciated that FIGS. 10A-10L illustrate but one possiblemethod of loading the large cargo in accordance with the presentdisclosure and variations thereon are within the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, while certain cable and pulley configurationsand steps are described below in connection with loading the payload 10,alternative mechanisms, components, and steps may be used to move apayload through a curved path (e.g., a curved path formed by rails 29,31 of support structures 23A, 27) in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10A illustrates the cargo aircraft 100, in a simplified manner forpurposes of clarity, in a cargo-loading ready position. Moreparticularly, the cargo aircraft 100 can be opened, such as by swingingthe cargo nose door 126 upwards into its open position, exposing theportion of the interior cargo bay 170 associated with the fixed portion128 of the fuselage 101, which can extend from the forward end 120,through the kinked portion 130, and through essentially the entirety ofthe aft end 140 of the aircraft. The cargo opening 171 provides accessto the interior cargo bay 170. It will be appreciated that variouscomponents of the aircraft 100, such as wheels, landing gear, etc. arenot shown in FIG. 10A, or FIGS. 10B-10L, for purposes of clarity of theillustration. Such components can be seen elsewhere in the figure set,for example, in FIGS. 1A-1C, and/or are understood to exist in theirtypical locations on aircrafts by those skilled in the art. The aftsupport structure 27 can be disposed within the aft portion 170 a of thecargo bay and secured therein such that the aft support structure 27 isstationary relative to the bottom contact surface 172 of the cargo bay170.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the transport vehicle 20, and thus the payload 10and support structures 23A, 23B secured thereto, can be driven orotherwise moved into alignment with the forward end 120 of the aircraft100 such that the forward support structure 23A and the payload 10secured thereto can be moved into the forward portion 170 f of the cargobay 10. For example, transport vehicle 20 can be docked to the aircraft100, such as by locking or otherwise securing the transport vehicle atthe cargo opening 171, as generally illustrated in FIG. 10B within thecircle 37, such that the forward support structure 23A and the payload10 can pass through the cargo opening 171 and into the forward portion170 f of the cargo bay, e.g., by aligning the lower end 23 _(L) of theforward support structure 23A with the bottom contact surface 172 of thecargo bay and/or one or more base rails associated with the bottomcontact surface.

FIG. 10C1 schematically illustrates one embodiment of a set-up that canbe utilized with the present disclosure to load the payload 10 into thecargo aircraft 100. More particularly, the set-up of FIG. 10C1 can beused to accomplish the initial linear translation (as shown,left-to-right) of the forward support structure 23A and payload 10 intothe forward bay portion 170 f of the cargo bay 170 and subsequentmovement of the payload 10 aft-ward along the curved path, as describedbelow. The system illustrated in FIG. 10C1 and FIG. 10C2 includes aflyaway cable 39, a winch cable 41, a turnaround pulley 43, and a winchspool 45. The flyaway cable 39 can be connected to one of the pluralityof payload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B, 212A, 212B. For example, afirst terminal end 39A of the flyaway cable 39 can be connected to thepayload-receiving fixture coupled to the forward support structure 23Alocated closest to the cargo opening 171, in this case the rootpayload-receiving fixture 212A. The flyaway cable 39 can maintain thisconnection point throughout the entirety of the loading process, i.e.,during both translation of the payload 10 and support structures 23A,23B and subsequent movement of the payload 10 along the curved path. Inother embodiments, the first terminal end 39A of the flyaway cable canbe connected directly to the forward support structure 23A, however sucha configuration may require disconnecting the first terminal end of thecable once the forward support structure 23A is secured within theforward portion 170 f of the cargo bay and reconnecting the cable to thepayload10.

The flyaway cable 39 can extend from the first terminal end 39A, throughsubstantially the entirety of the cargo bay 170, through the turnaroundpulley 43 located in the aft portion 170 a of the cargo bay, and to asecond terminal end 39B. In some embodiments, the turnaround pulley 43can be coupled to a structural component of the aircraft 100, forexample one or more base rails that can extend along at least a portionof the bottom contact surface 172 of the cargo bay 170, such that areaction force from the turnaround pulley 43 can be distributed by thestructural component. A portion of the flyaway cable 39 that extendsbetween the first terminal end 39A and the turnaround pulley 43 can bereferred to as an “upper portion” while a portion of the flyaway cable39 that extends between the turnaround pulley 43 and the second terminalend 39B can be referred to as a “lower portion.” The flyaway cable 39can be connected to the winch cable 41 at a connection point 42. In theillustrated embodiment the connection point of the flyaway cable 39 tothe winch cable 41 occurs within the interior cargo bay 170 and, moreparticularly, in the forward portion 170 f of the cargo bay. In otherembodiments, the connection location of the flyaway cable 39 to thewinch cable 41 and the lengths of the cables themselves can vary based,at least in part, on dimensions of the payload 10, aircraft 100, andoperational handling requirements. The winch cable 41 can extend fromthe connection point with the flyaway cable 39 to the spool 45. Thespool 45 can be located towards the terminal end of the transportvehicle 20 that is furthest away from the aircraft 100. With the cablesattached, the spool 45 can be rotated to take up excess slack from theflyaway and winch cables 39, 41. Rotating the spool 45 to take up excessslack, e.g., in the clockwise direction, can draw the winch cable 41away from the aircraft 100 and into the spool 45 such that the flyawaycable 39 is drawn taut with the upper portion of the flyaway cablemoving aft towards the turnaround pulley 43 and the lower portion of theflyaway cable moving forwards towards the spool 45.

While only a single flyaway cable 39, turnaround pulley 43, and winchcable 41 are visible in the illustration of FIG. 10C1 , some embodimentscan include additional redundancy, i.e., support to provide additionalforce to move the payload 10. For example, FIG. 10C2 illustrates aschematic top-view of a cable set-up that can be used in connection withthe present disclosure that includes a second flyaway cable 39′, winchcable 41′, and turnaround pulley 43′, which can be connected in themanner described above in parallel with the first flyaway cable 39,winch cable 41, and turnaround pulley 43. A single winch spool 45 can beused to simultaneous take up or release slack across all of the cables.By way of non-limiting example, each cable 39, 39′, 41, 41′ can have adiameter of about 0.75 inches, a minimum strength of about 58,000pounds, a margin of safety greater than about 2.5, a weight of about0.13 pounds per foot, and less than about 1% stretch. Cable selectioncan be based, at least in part, on a maximum payload weight, desiredfactor of safety, and other factors that would be apricated by a personskilled in the art in view of the present disclosures.

With the set-up of FIG. 10C1 complete, the forward support structure 23Aand ground support structure 23B can be placed in a configuration toallow relative movement between the support structures 23A, 23B and thetransport vehicle 20, e.g., by unlocking the support structures 23A, 23Bfrom the transport vehicle 20 at a plurality of connection points 47 asshown in FIG. 10D. It will be appreciated that while FIG. 10D does notshow the cables, pulley(s), or spool described above in connection withFIGS. 10C1 and 10C2 (collectively referred to as a “winching system”)for sake of simplicity of illustration, these components remain present.The distal end of the payload 10 d and a distal end 23A_(D) of theforward support structure 23A can remain exterior to the cargo bay 170.FIG. 10E illustrates a snapshot of the “slide-aboard” or translationphase of loading, which can be accomplished by winching or spooling thecables 39, 41. More particularly, the spool 45 can be driven orotherwise rotated to pull the winch cable 41 in the forward direction F,i.e., towards the spool 45 and away from the aircraft 100. This, inturn, pulls the lower portion of the flyaway cable 39 in the forwarddirection, drawing the upper portion of the flyaway cable in the aftdirection A towards the turnaround pulley 43.

As the upper portion of the flyaway cable 39 is connected to the payload10, which is secured to the forward and ground support structures 23A,23B, the aft-ward force on the upper portion of the flyaway cable 39causes the payload 10, and thus the first support structure 23A andground support structure 23B, to move in the aft direction. Moreparticularly, the first support structure 23A and ground supportstructure 23B can translate in the aft-direction, with the payload 10coupled thereto, such that the first support structure 23A and thepayload 10 pass through the cargo opening 171 and into the forwardportion 170 f of the cargo bay. The portion of the first supportstructure 23A that extends beyond the cargo opening 171 and into thecargo bay 170 can translate linearly along the bottom contact surface172 of the cargo bay, e.g., by rolling, sliding, or otherwise movingalong one or more base rails that can extend along the bottom contactsurface. The portion of the first support structure 23A that remainsexternal to the cargo bay 170 and the ground support structure 23B cantranslate linearly along the transport vehicle 20, e.g., by rolling,sliding, or otherwise moving along the one or more rails 24 a, 24 b ofthe vehicle. In this manner, the forward support structure 23A, and atleast a portion of the payload 10, can move into the forward portion 170f of the cargo bay 170 by linearly translating through the cargo opening171 of the aircraft 100. The payload 10 and forward support structure23A can continue to be winched aboard the aircraft 100 by driving thespool 45 until the forward support structure 23A is aligned with the aftsupport structure 27 disposed within the aft portion 170 a of the cargobay. As noted above, such alignment can occur when the distal end23A_(D) (see FIG. 10D) of the first support structure abuts, contacts,or is brought into close proximity to the proximal end 27 _(P) (see FIG.10D) of the aft support structure 27 to form a continuous, orsubstantially continuous, path along which the payload 10 can movewithout disruption. One or more rail segment 29 _(FS), 31 _(FS) of theforward support structure 23A can align with a counterpart one or morerail segment 29 _(AS), 31 _(AS) of the aft support structure 27 to formthe continuous path 29, 31 (see FIG. 7E and FIG. 10F). In someembodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 10E, the connection point betweenthe lower portion of the flyaway cable 39 and the winch cable 41 can belocated exterior to the cargo bay 170, while in other embodiments theconnection point may remain within the cargo bay.

FIG. 10F illustrates the action of immobilizing the forward supportstructure 23A and the ground support structure 23B. With the forwardsupport structure 23A in alignment with the aft support structure 27,the forward support structure can be locked or otherwise secured withinthe forward portion 170 f of the cargo bay 170. For example, the lowerend 23A_(L) of the forward support structure 23A can be locked to thebottom contact surface 172 in the forward portion of the cargo bay 170at a plurality of locations 49. The lower end 23B_(L) of the groundsupport structure 23B can be locked or otherwise secured to thetransport vehicle 20 at a plurality of locations 51 if desired.Accordingly, the forward support structure 23A and ground supportstructure 23B can remain stationary relative to the cargo bay 170 andtransport vehicle 20. FIG. 10G illustrates the action of mobilizing thepayload 10 relative to the forward and ground support structures 23A,23B such that the payload 10 can translate or move relative to thesupport structures. For example, the carriage 114 of eachpayload-receiving fixture 212A, 112A, 112B, 212B can be unlocked orotherwise maneuvered such that the wheels 114 w of each carriage canmove relative to the forward and ground support structures 23A, 23B. Forillustrative purposes, FIGS. 10F and 10G do not show components of thewinching system, however such components remain present during theillustrated steps of these figures.

The payload 10 can be further advanced into the cargo bay 170 by movingthe payload aft-wards along the curved path formed by the forward andaft support structures 23A, 27. To this end, the spool 45 can be drivento pull the winch cable 41 and lower portion of the flyaway cable 39into the spool, i.e., in the forward direction F, until the payload 10is fully disposed in the cargo bay 170, as shown in FIG. 10H. As thewinch cable 41 is pulled forward into the spool 45, the lower portion ofthe flyaway cable 39 and the connection point 42 between the winch cableand flyaway cable are pulled forward. This, in turn, pulls the payload10 aft-ward as the upper portion of the flyaway cable moves through theturnaround pulley 43 such that the payload moves aft-ward along thecurved path 29. As shown, the distal end 10 d of the payload 10, alongwith two payload-receiving fixtures 212A, 112A, are disposed in the aftportion 170 a of the cargo bay 170. The two payload-receiving fixtures212A, 112A in the aft portion 170 a of the cargo bay can be coupled tothe aft support structure 27, e.g., the carriages 114 of thesepayload-receiving fixtures can be in contact with one or more rails 29_(AS), 31 _(AS) of the aft support structure. The proximal end 10 p ofthe payload 10, along with two payload-receiving fixtures 212B, 112B,are disposed in the forward portion 170 f of the cargo bay 170. The twopayload-receiving fixtures 212B, 112B in the forward portion 170 f ofthe cargo bay can be coupled to the forward support structure 23A, e.g.,the carriages 114 of these payload-receiving fixtures can be in contactwith one or more rails 29 _(FS), 31 _(FS) of the forward supportstructure. With the payload 10 fully disposed within the cargo bay 170,the payload can be locked into or otherwise secured in place, as shownin FIG. 10I. For example, the carriages 114 of the each of thepayload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B, 212A, 212B can be locked to therespective forward or aft support structures 23A, 27 such that thepayload 10 is held stationary with respect to the support structures andthus the cargo bay 170. Any number of locking mechanisms for securingthe payload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B, 212A, 212B with respect tothe support structures 23A, 27 can be used, including the variouslocking mechanisms provided for herein or otherwise known to thoseskilled in the art.

With the payload 10 disposed and locked within the cargo bay 170, asshown in FIG. 10I, the flyaway cable 39 can be disconnected from thewinch cable 41. For example, the cable joint 42 can be disconnected torelease the flyaway cable 39 as shown in FIG. 10J. The winch cable 41can remain wound around the spool 41. The flyaway cable 39 can then besecured and stored for flight. For example, the lower portion of theflyaway cable 39 can be secured to one or more structures disposedwithin the cargo bay using tiedowns or other similar locking devices,spooled or otherwise gathered for storage within the cargo bay 170, etc.The transport vehicle 20, with the ground support structure 23B coupledthereto, can be undocked from the aircraft 100 or otherwise placed in amobile state (see FIG. 10K) and moved away from the aircraft 100 (seeFIG. 10L). The payload 10 is now loaded into the cargo bay 170 of thecargo aircraft 100 for transport.

Once the payload 10 has been transported to its desired destination, itcan be unloaded from the cargo bay 170. Unloading can be similar in manyrespects to loading, generally reversing the progression illustratedwith respect to the loading process in FIGS. 10A-10L, and thus thedetails, and an illustrated step-through of the same, is unnecessary.Upon arrival the transport vehicle 20 can be docked to the aircraft 100,the flyaway cable 39 can be released and/or unspooled and the lowerportion of the flyaway cable can be connected to the winch cable 41. Thepayload 10 can be unlocked from the forward and aft support structures23A, 27 disposed within the cargo bay 170 and the payload 10 can bebelayed out of the cargo bay 170 through the cargo opening 171 at theforward end 120 of the aircraft 100. The payload 10 can move forwardalong the curved path formed by the forward and aft trusses 23A, 27under the force of the payload’s own weight. The ground supportstructure 23B that is secured to the transport vehicle 20 just exteriorto the cargo opening 171 can form a curved path with forward supportstructure 23A such that the payload 10 reaches a minimum energy stateand comes to a stop with the proximal end 10 p of the payload 10 locatedover the ground support structure 23B exterior to the cargo bay 170while the distal end 10 d of the payload is located over the forwardsupport structure 23A in the forward portion 170 f of the cargo bay. Thepayload 10 can be locked in place such that the payload is heldstationary relative to the ground and forward support structures 23A,23B while the winch cable 41 is disconnected from the lower portion ofthe flyaway cable 39. The winch cable 41, or a separate unloading winchcable, among other ways translation movement can be imparted on thepayload 10, can then be connected to the forward-most payload-receivingfixture, in this case the root payload-receiving fixture 212B locatedover the ground support structure 23B, and the spool 45 can be driven totake up slack in the winch cable. The payload 10 can be unlocked fromthe ground and forward support structures 23B, 23A and the payload 10can be winched forward to center or align the payload 10 between theground support structure 23B and the forward support structure 23A. Thepayload 10 can then be locked to the ground and forward supportstructures 23A, 23B restricting relative movement therebetween. Theground and forward support structures 23B, 23A can be unlocked relativeto the transport vehicle 20 and forward cargo bay 170 f, respectively.The spool 45 can be driven to pull the winch cable or the unloadingwinch cable forward thereby causing the ground and forward supportstructures 23B, 23A to translate linearly in the forward direction untilthe support structures 23B, 23A are disposed on the transport vehicle20. The ground and forward support structures 23B, 23A can be lockedrelative to the transport vehicle 20, the flyaway cable 39 and winchcable can be disconnected and secured, and the transport vehicle 20 canmove away from the aircraft 100 with the payload 10 secured thereto.

After the transport vehicle 20 with the payload 10 is removed from theaircraft 100, the payload 10 can be disassembled. Disassembling thepayload can be similar in many respects to assembling the payload, andthus the details and an illustrated step-through of the same isunnecessary. With the payload-receiving fixtures locked to the groundand forward support structures 23B, 23A and the ground and forwardsupport structures locked to the transport vehicle 20, the upper-fixturecomponents of the mid-span payload-receiving fixtures 112A, 112B can becraned off or otherwise removed from the turbine blades 11A, 11B. Theupper turbine blade 11B can be craned off using, for example, themid-component of one of the mid-span payload-receiving fixtures 112A,112B. The remaining mid-fixture component of the other mid-span payloadreceiving fixture can also be removed. The lower turbine blade 11A canbe craned off the payload-receiving fixtures, leaving the emptypayload-receiving fixtures 212A, 212B, 112A, 112B coupled to the groundand forward support structures 23B, 23A on the transport vehicle 20. Thedisassembly process can generally be accomplished by reversing theprogression illustrated with respect to the payload package assembly inFIGS. 9A-9I.

Following disassembly of the payload package 10, the aircraft 100 can beprepared for a backhaul or return flight in which components of theabove-described systems can be transported to a different location forfuture use and/or storage. FIG. 11 illustrates a backhaul preparationstep following removal of the turbine blades 11A, 11B from thepayload-receiving fixtures 212A, 112A, 112B, 212B. The emptypayload-receiving fixtures 212A, 112A, 112B, 212B can be unlocked fromthe forward and ground support structures 23A, 23B and moved along thesupport structures towards the distal end 23A_(D) of the forward supportstructure 23A such that each of the payload-receiving fixtures arecoupled to the forward support structure. In some instances, one or moreof the payload-receiving fixtures already coupled to the forward supportstructure as a result of the unloading process may not need to beadjusted or moved relative to the forward support structure toaccommodate the remaining payload-receiving fixtures on the forwardsupport structure, for example the root payload-receiving fixture 212A.The payload-receiving fixtures 212A, 112A, 112B, 212B can be locked orotherwise secured to the forward support structure 23A. The forwardsupport structure 23A, along with the payload-receiving fixtures 212A,112A, 112B, 212B, can then be loaded into the forward cargo bay 170 f ofthe aircraft 100 and secured thereto for transport by the aircraft 100.In some embodiments, the forward support structure 23A can be loadedinto the forward cargo bay 170 f in a manner similar to that describedabove in connection with the loading of the payload 10. For example, thetransport vehicle 20 can be docked to the forward end 120 of theaircraft 100 with the cargo door 126 in the open position providingaccess to the interior cargo bay 170 via the cargo opening 171. Theforward support structure 23A can be then be translated into the forwardcargo bay 170 f, e.g., by winching the forward support structure intothe cargo bay. To this end, the fly-away cable 39 can be connected at afirst end to a payload-receiving fixture coupled to the forward supportstructure 23A or to the forward support structure itself. The fly-awaycable can extend through the interior cargo bay 170, through the pulley43 to connect to the winch cable 41. The forward and ground supportstructures 23A, 23B can be unlocked from the transport vehicle 20 andthe winch spool 45 can be wound to pull the winch cable 41 and lowerportion of the fly-away cable 39 away from the aircraft 100 into thespool, thereby winching or translating the forward support structure 23Ainto the forward cargo bay 170 f. Once the forward support structure 23Ais located fully within the forward cargo bay 170 f, the forward supportstructure 23A can be secured to the bottom contact surface 172 of thecargo bay 170, the winch 41 and fly-away cables 39 disconnected andsecured for flight. The transport vehicle 20, with the ground supportstructure 23B coupled thereto, can be disconnected or undocked from theaircraft 100 and moved away from the cargo opening 171.

Additional Embodiments Utilizing a Curved Path for Loading and/orUnloading Cargo

FIG. 12 shows a side view of an aircraft 1000 that, in many respects,can be similar or identical to the aircraft 100 described above withrespect to FIGS. 1A-1C, with like-numbered components having generallythe same features. It will be appreciated that various components of theaircraft 1000, such as wings, wheels, landing gear, etc. are not shownin FIG. 12 . Such components can be seen elsewhere in the figure set,for example, in FIGS. 1A-1C, and/or are understood to exist in theirtypical locations on aircrafts by those skilled in the art. The aircraft1000, and thus its fuselage 1101, includes a forward end 1120 and an aftend 1140, with a kinked portion 1130 connecting the forward end to theaft end. Accordingly, an interior cargo bay 1170 of the aircraft 1000has a forward bay 1170 f, a kinked bay 1170 k, and an aft bay 1170 a. Incontrast to the above-described embodiments, however, the aircraft 1000can include at least one curved base rail 1174 that can extend throughsubstantially the entire length of the cargo bay 1170. The curved baserail 1174 can be defined by a first point of horizontal tangency 1174Fin the forward bay 170 f and a second point of horizontal tangency 1174Ain the aft bay 170 a. At these two points 1174 f, 1174 a the curved baserail 1174 can be tangent, or at least substantially tangent, to thebottom contact surface 1172 of the cargo bay 1170. In some embodiments,a radius r′ can be approximately between about 800 feet to about 6000feet, or more approximately between about 1200 feet to about 3000 feet,between about 1500 feet to about 2000 feet, between about 1600 feet toabout 1700 feet, or between about 1630 feet to about 1680 feet, such asabout 1678 feet. A payload 10, including, for example, turbine blades11A, 11B and a plurality of payload-receiving fixtures 12, can slidealong the curved base rail 1174 in an aft direction for loading and/or aforward direction for unloading. For example, the payload-receivingcarriages 12 can include one or more wheels 114 w that can align withand slide along the curved base rail 1174 such that the payload 10 movesalong the curved path formed by the curved base rail 1174 during loadingor unloading. The curved path can extend forward or proximal of theaircraft 1000, for example along one or more transport vehicles, supportstructures, or other ground handling equipment that can be used to placethe payload 10 at a cargo opening (not shown in FIG. 12 as a nose cone1126 of the aircraft 1000 is in the closed position) during loading orreceive the payload at the cargo opening during unloading. As a resultof the large radius of the curved path, the curved path can extend highabove a ground surface 1150 forward of the aircraft 1000, as illustratedby arrow 1151 in FIG. 12 . Accordingly, tall ground handling equipmentmay be required.

FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of an aircraft 2000 that can beused in connection with at least one curved base rail 2174 in a mannersimilar to that described above in connection with FIG. 12 . Theaircraft 2000 can be the nearly the same or identical to the aircraft1000, with like-numbered components having generally similar features,except that the aircraft of FIG. 13 can have an inclined barrel, i.e.,an inclined forward fuselage 2101. FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional viewof only a portion of the fuselage 2101 for illustrative purposes. Itwill be appreciated that various components of the aircraft 2000, suchas wings, nose cone, wheels, landing gear, etc. are not shown in FIG. 12. Such components can be seen elsewhere in the figure set, for example,in FIGS. 1A-1C, and/or are understood to exist in their typicallocations on aircrafts by those skilled in the art. The forward fuselage2101 can have a constant, or substantially constant, cross-section thatextends at a downward incline in the direction of the nose (not shown),i.e., towards the forward end 2120 of the aircraft 2000. In someembodiments the angle of inclination can be up to about six (6) degrees,up to about four (4) degrees, or up to about two (2) degrees, the latterof which is illustrated in FIG. 13 . Angling the forward fuselage 2101in this manner can shift a forward horizontal point of tangency 1174 fof the curved path defined by the curved base rail 2174 forward of thenose of the aircraft 2000, i.e., at a point forward of and exterior tothe aircraft. Nose-down inclination of the barrel can increase a radiusof curvature of the curved path such that the amount that the curvedpath extends high above a ground surface 2150 forward of the aircraft2000 can be reduced as compared to the embodiment described inconnection with FIG. 12 (and as illustrated by the arrow 2151 in FIG. 13). For example, in some embodiments, the equivalent of the radius r′from FIG. 12 for the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13 can beapproximately between about 800 feet to about 6000 feet, or moreapproximately between about 1200 feet to about 3000 feet, between about2000 feet to about 3000 feet, between about 2200 feet to about 2800feet, or between about 2600 feet to about 2700 feet, such as about 2610feet. In some embodiments, the curved base rail 2174 can have a minordeviation 2174D from a pure curved profile towards the aft end 2140 ofthe aircraft 2000, for example to aid in flattening curve. This mayresult in some cargo bending and/or utilizing a powered and/oradjustable payload-receiving fixture to account for the same (e.g., afixture having a vertical stroke of approximately 2 feet).

Examples of the above-described embodiments can include the following:

1. A method of loading or unloading a payload into or out of a cargoaircraft, comprising:

-   when loading a payload into an interior cargo bay of a cargo    aircraft, the interior cargo bay having a forward bay portion    located in a forward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portion    located in an aft end of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay    portion disposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bay    portion, the kinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft    end of the cargo aircraft begins to raise at an angle relative to a    longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft, advancing the    payload towards the aft end of the cargo aircraft; and-   when unloading a payload out of the interior cargo bay of the cargo    aircraft, advancing the payload towards the forward end of the cargo    aircraft,-   wherein, whether loading or unloading, advancing the payload further    comprises moving the payload along a curved path formed by at least    one support structure disposed in the interior cargo bay of the    cargo aircraft, the at least one support structure extending a    varying vertical distance above a corresponding portion of a bottom    contact surface of the interior cargo bay over a length of the at    least one support structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the payload along the curvedpath further comprises moving the payload such that a portion of thepayload that extends beyond the kinked portion of the cargo bay and intothe aft portion of the cargo bay remains a fixed radial height above thecurved path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the payload along the curvedpath further comprises moving the payload such that the payload rotatesabout a center point of an arc while concurrently moving in the forwardor aft direction

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the curved path is formed by atleast one rail of the at least one support structure.

5The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one rail comprises aplurality of linear rail segments extending at an angle relative to oneanother to approximate a curve.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5,

-   wherein the payload comprises at least one payload-receiving    fixture, and-   wherein moving the payload along the curved path further comprises    coupling at least one payload-receiving fixture of the plurality of    payload-receiving fixtures to the at least one support structure and    advancing the at least one payload-receiving fixture along the    curved path.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the curved path extendsfrom the forward bay portion through the kinked bay portion and into theaft bay portion.

8. The method of any of claims 1 to 7,

-   wherein the at least one support structure comprises a first support    structure and a second support structure, and-   wherein the curved path is formed by the first support structure    fixed in the aft bay portion to the bottom contact surface of the    interior cargo bay and the second support structure fixed in the    forward bay portion to the bottom contact surface of the interior    cargo bay.

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 8,

-   wherein the at least one support structure comprises a first support    structure fixed in the aft bay portion to the bottom contact surface    of the interior cargo bay and a second support structure, and-   wherein the method further comprises:    -   when loading the payload into the interior cargo bay of the        cargo aircraft, moving the second support structure from a        position external of the cargo aircraft into the forward bay        portion of the cargo bay and securing the second support        structure in the forward bay portion to the bottom contact        surface of the interior cargo bay; and    -   when unloading the payload from the interior cargo bay,        unlocking the second support structure from the bottom contact        surface of the interior cargo bay in the forward bay portion and        moving the second support structure out of the forward bay        portion to a position external of the cargo aircraft.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein moving the second support structurefrom the position external of the cargo aircraft into the forward bayportion of the cargo bay further comprises translating the secondsupport structure from the position external of the cargo aircraft alonga linear path into the forward bay portion of the cargo bay.

11. The method of any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the curved path isformed by at least one rail of the first support structure aligned withat least one rail of the second support structure.

12. The method of any of claims 1 to 11, wherein moving the payloadalong the curved path further comprises moving the payload through thekinked bay portion towards the aft end of the cargo aircraft such that adistal end of the payload raises relative to the longitudinal-lateralplane of the cargo aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising moving the payload alongthe curved path until the distal end of the payload is received with aportion of the aft bay portion located within a fuselage tailcone of thecargo aircraft.

14. The method of any of claims 1 to 13, wherein moving the payloadalong the curved path further comprises moving the payload through thekinked bay portion towards the forward end of the cargo aircraft suchthat a distal end of the payload lowers relative to thelongitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft.

15. The method of any of claims 1 to 14, wherein a length of the payloadis at least about 65 meters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 75 meters.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 85 meters.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 100 meters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 120 meters.

20. The method of any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the payload comprisesone or more components of a wind turbine such that the plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures are configured to receive the one or morecomponents of the wind turbine.

21. The method of any of claims 1 to 20,

-   wherein, when loading the payload into the interior cargo bay of the    cargo aircraft, advancing the payload towards the aft end of the    cargo aircraft further comprises passing the payload through an    opening formed by opening a nose cargo door located in the forward    end of the cargo aircraft, and-   wherein, when unloading the payload out of the interior cargo bay of    the cargo aircraft, advancing the payload towards the forward end of    the cargo aircraft further comprises passing the payload to an    environment outside the cargo aircraft through an opening formed by    opening a nose cargo door located in the forward end of the cargo    aircraft.

22. The method of any of claims 1 to 21, wherein a terminal end of oneof the at least one support structure is disposed in the aft bay portionand located above a plane extending through a top surface of a fuselageof the cargo plane in which the interior cargo bay is disposed.

23. A method of loading a cargo aircraft, comprising:

-   translating a payload and a support structure to which the payload    is removably coupled into an interior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft    along a linear path;-   de-coupling the payload from the support structure; and-   moving the payload into an aft portion of the interior cargo bay    along a curved path at least partially formed by the support    structure such that as the payload proceeds in the aft direction, an    aft portion of the payload approaches a bottom contact surface of    the aft portion of the interior cargo bay.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

-   securing the support structure to a bottom contact surface of a    forward portion of the interior cargo bay such that the support    structure is stationary within the forward portion of the cargo bay,-   wherein a first portion of the curved path is formed by the support    structure and a second portion of the curved path is formed by a    second support structure disposed in the aft portion of the cargo    bay.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the payload comprises a plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures, and moving the payload into the aft portionof the cargo bay along the curved path further comprises advancing atleast one payload-receiving fixture of the plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures along one or more rails of at least one ofthe support structure or the second support structure.

26. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein securing the support structureto the bottom contact surface of the forward portion of the interiorcargo bay further comprises securing the support structure to at leastone base rail coupled to the bottom contact surface of the forwardportion of the interior cargo bay.

27. The method of any of claims 23 to 26,

-   wherein the interior cargo bay further comprises a kinked bay    portion disposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bay    portion, the kinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft    end of the cargo aircraft begins to raise relative to a    longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft, and-   wherein moving the payload into the aft portion of the cargo bay    further comprises moving the payload such that a portion of the    payload that extends beyond the kinked portion of the cargo bay and    into the aft portion of the cargo bay remains a fixed radial height    above the curved path.

28. The method of any of claims 23 to 27, wherein a length of thepayload is at least about 65 meters.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 75 meters.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 85 meters.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 100 meters.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 120 meters.

33. The method of any of claims 23 to 32, wherein the payload comprisesone or more components of a wind turbine such that the plurality ofpayload-receiving fixtures are configured to receive the one or morecomponents of the wind turbine.

34. The method of any of claims 23 to 33, wherein translating thepayload and support structure into the interior cargo bay of the cargoaircraft further comprises passing the payload and the support structurethrough an opening formed by opening a nose cargo door located in theforward end of the cargo aircraft.

35. A system for at least one of loading a payload onto a cargo aircraftor unloading a payload from a cargo aircraft, comprising:

-   at least one rail disposed in an interior cargo bay of a cargo    aircraft, the interior cargo bay having a forward bay portion    located in a forward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portion    located in an aft end of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay    portion disposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bay    portion, the kinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft    end of the cargo aircraft beings to raise relative to a    longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft such that an    aft-most terminal end of the aft bay portion is disposed above the    longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft,-   wherein the at least one rail extends from the forward bay portion,    through the kinked bay portion, and into the aft bay portion, and-   wherein a vertical distance above which the at least one rail    extends from an interior bottom contact surface of the interior    cargo bay varies along a length of the at least one rail.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the vertical distance above whichthe at least one rail extends from the interior bottom contact surfaceof the interior cargo decreases in the aft direction from the kinked bayportion to the aft bay portion.

37. The system of one of claims 35 or 36, further comprising:

-   a first support structure coupled to the bottom contact surface of    the cargo bay in the forward bay portion; and-   a second support structure coupled to the bottom contact surface of    the cargo bay in the aft bay portion,-   wherein the first support structure includes a first portion of the    at least one rail and the second support structure includes a second    portion of the at least one rail.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the first support structure isremovably coupled to the bottom contact surface of the cargo plane.

39. The system of claim 37 or 38, further comprising:

-   one or more transport vehicles configured to move along a ground    surface,-   wherein the first support structure is configured to be removably    coupled to the one or more transport vehicles.

40. The system of any of claims 35 to 39, wherein the aft portion of thecargo bay extends at an angle relative to a forward portion of the cargobay.

41. The system of any of claims 35 to 40, wherein the at least one railcomprises a plurality of linear rail segments extending at an anglerelative to one another to approximate a curve.

42. The system of any of claims 35 to 41, wherein the at least one railcomprises at least two rails disposed approximately parallel to eachother.

43. The system of any of claims 35 to 42, further comprising a payloadconfigured to move along a curved path formed by the at least one railsuch that an aft end of the payload is held within the aft bay portion.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the payload is configured to movealong the curved path formed by the at least one rail such that the aftend of the payload approaches the bottom contact surface in the aft bayportion.

45. The system of claim 43 or 44, wherein the payload comprises aplurality of payload-receiving fixtures configured to couple to the atleast one rail such that the plurality of payload-receiving fixtures areconfigured to translate along a length of the at least one rail.

46. The system of any claim 43 or 44, wherein the payload furthercomprises one or more components of a wind turbine such that theplurality of payload-receiving fixtures are configured to receive theone or more components of the wind turbine.

47. The system of any of claims 35 to 46 wherein a length of the payloadis at least about 65 meters.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 75 meters.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 85 meters.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 100 meters.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the length of the payload is atleast about 120 meters.

52. The system of any of claims 35 to 51, wherein a terminal end of theat least one rail is disposed in the aft bay portion and located above aplane extending through a top surface of a fuselage of the cargo planein which the interior cargo bay is disposed.

53. The system of any of claims 35 to 52, further comprising:

A cargo nose door configured to open a portion of the forward end of thecargo aircraft such that the forward bay portion is accessible from anoutside environment when the cargo nose door is open.

1. A method of loading or unloading a payload into or out of a cargoaircraft, comprising: when loading a payload into an interior cargo bayof a cargo aircraft, the interior cargo bay having a forward bay portionlocated in a forward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portionlocated in an aft end of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay portiondisposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bay portion, thekinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft end of the cargoaircraft begins to raise at an angle relative to a longitudinal-lateralplane of the cargo aircraft, advancing the payload towards the aft endof the cargo aircraft; and when unloading a payload out of the interiorcargo bay of the cargo aircraft, advancing the payload towards theforward end of the cargo aircraft, wherein, whether loading orunloading, advancing the payload further comprises moving the payloadalong a curved path formed by at least one support structure disposed inthe interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, the at least one supportstructure extending a varying vertical distance above a correspondingportion of a bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay over alength of the at least one support structure.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein moving the payload along the curved path further comprisesmoving the payload such that a portion of the payload that extendsbeyond the kinked portion of the cargo bay and into the aft portion ofthe cargo bay remains a fixed radial height above the curved path. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein moving the payload along the curved pathfurther comprises moving the payload such that the payload rotates abouta center point of an arc while concurrently moving in the forward or aftdirection. 4-8. (canceled)
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the atleast one support structure comprises a first support structure fixed inthe aft bay portion to the bottom contact surface of the interior cargobay and a second support structure, and wherein the method furthercomprises: when loading the payload into the interior cargo bay of thecargo aircraft, moving the second support structure from a positionexternal of the cargo aircraft into the forward bay portion of the cargobay and securing the second support structure in the forward bay portionto the bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay; and whenunloading the payload from the interior cargo bay, unlocking the secondsupport structure from the bottom contact surface of the interior cargobay in the forward bay portion and moving the second support structureout of the forward bay portion to a position external of the cargoaircraft.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein moving the second supportstructure from the position external of the cargo aircraft into theforward bay portion of the cargo bay further comprises translating thesecond support structure from the position external of the cargoaircraft along a linear path into the forward bay portion of the cargobay.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the curved path is formed by atleast one rail of the first support structure aligned with at least onerail of the second support structure.
 12. The method of claim 1, whereinmoving the payload along the curved path further comprises moving thepayload through the kinked bay portion towards the aft end of the cargoaircraft such that a distal end of the payload raises relative to thelongitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising moving the payload along the curved pathuntil the distal end of the payload is received with a portion of theaft bay portion located within a fuselage tailcone of the cargoaircraft.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the payload alongthe curved path further comprises moving the payload through the kinkedbay portion towards the forward end of the cargo aircraft such that adistal end of the payload lowers relative to the longitudinal-lateralplane of the cargo aircraft.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein a lengthof the payload is at least about 65 meters. 16-21. (canceled)
 22. Themethod of claim 1, wherein a terminal end of one of the at least onesupport structure is disposed in the aft bay portion.
 23. A method ofloading a cargo aircraft, comprising: translating a payload and asupport structure to which the payload is removably coupled into aninterior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft along a linear path; de-couplingthe payload from the support structure; and moving the payload into anaft portion of the interior cargo bay along a curved path at leastpartially formed by the support structure such that as the payloadproceeds in the aft direction, an aft portion of the payload approachesa bottom contact surface of the aft portion of the interior cargo bay.24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: securing the supportstructure to a bottom contact surface of a forward portion of theinterior cargo bay such that the support structure is stationary withinthe forward portion of the cargo bay, wherein a first portion of thecurved path is formed by the support structure and a second portion ofthe curved path is formed by a second support structure disposed in theaft portion of the cargo bay. 25-27. (canceled)
 28. The method of claim23, wherein a length of the payload is at least about 65 meters. 29-33.(canceled)
 34. The method of claim 23, wherein translating the payloadand support structure into the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraftfurther comprises passing the payload and the support structure throughan opening formed by opening a nose cargo door located in the forwardend of the cargo aircraft.
 35. A system for at least one of loading apayload onto a cargo aircraft or unloading a payload from a cargoaircraft, comprising: at least one rail disposed in an interior cargobay of a cargo aircraft, the interior cargo bay having a forward bayportion located in a forward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bayportion located in an aft end of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bayportion disposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bayportion, the kinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft endof the cargo aircraft beings to raise relative to a longitudinal-lateralplane of the cargo aircraft such that an aft-most terminal end of theaft bay portion is disposed above the longitudinal-lateral plane of thecargo aircraft, wherein the at least one rail extends from the forwardbay portion, through the kinked bay portion, and into the aft bayportion, and wherein a vertical distance above which the at least onerail extends from an interior bottom contact surface of the interiorcargo bay varies along a length of the at least one rail.
 36. (canceled)37. The system of claim 35, further comprising: a first supportstructure coupled to the bottom contact surface of the cargo bay in theforward bay portion; and a second support structure coupled to thebottom contact surface of the cargo bay in the aft bay portion, whereinthe first support structure includes a first portion of the at least onerail and the second support structure includes a second portion of theat least one rail.
 38. The system of claim 37, wherein the first supportstructure is removably coupled to the bottom contact surface of thecargo plane.
 39. The system of claim 37, further comprising: one or moretransport vehicles configured to move along a ground surface, whereinthe first support structure is configured to be removably coupled to theone or more transport vehicles. 40-46. (canceled)
 47. The system ofclaim 35 wherein a length of the payload is at least about 65 meters.48-53. (canceled)